Unwilling to give direct answers or information; evasive or cautious in a suspicious way.
Derived from the noun 'cage,' this adjective originally referred to someone trapped or confined like a bird in a cage, then evolved to mean someone who avoids questions as if trapped or defensive. First used in American slang around the early 1900s.
Prosecutors and detectives love the word 'cagey' because when a suspect won't directly answer questions, it's often seen as suspicious—even though innocent people sometimes get nervous and fidgety in high-pressure situations too!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.