Skilled in gaining an advantage through cunning and clever tricks. Characterized by extreme cunning and slyness.
From 'wile' plus the suffix '-y', where 'wile' comes from Old English 'wīl' meaning 'trick' or 'stratagem'. The word is related to 'guile' and originally had neutral connotations of cleverness before developing its modern sense of cunning deception.
The phrase 'wily old fox' isn't just poetic - foxes actually exhibit the kind of strategic thinking the word describes, using elaborate tricks to evade hunters and catch prey. In literature, wily characters often serve as trickster archetypes who use intelligence rather than strength to overcome obstacles.
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