different between cowardly vs sneaky

English

Etymology

From Middle English *cowardli (adjective) and couardli (adverb), equivalent to coward +? -ly. Displaced native Old English earg.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ka??dli/

Adjective

cowardly (comparative cowardlier or more cowardly, superlative cowardliest or most cowardly)

1. Showing cowardice; lacking in courage; weakly fearful.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cowardly

   • 1780, Edmund Burke, speech at The Guildhall, in Bristol

     The cowardly rashness of those who dare not look danger in the face.

Derived terms

• cowardlily

Translations

Adverb

cowardly (comparative more cowardly, superlative most cowardly)

1. (archaic) In the manner of a coward, cowardlily.

Translations

English

Etymology

From sneak +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sni?ki/
• Rhymes: -i?ki

Adjective

sneaky (comparative sneakier, superlative sneakiest)

1. Difficult to catch due to constantly outwitting the adversaries

   Catching those thieves will be hard: they're so sneaky!

2. Dishonest; deceitful.

   They played a sneaky trick on us.

Synonyms

• slippery
• evasive, dodgy

Derived terms

• sneaky suspicion

Related terms

• sneak

Translations

Further reading

• sneaky in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• sneaky in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Noun

sneaky (plural sneakies)

1. (espionage, slang) Any device used for covert surveillance.
   • 1974, Miles Copeland, Without cloak or dagger: the truth about the new espionage (page 244)

     […] in cooperation with the National Security Agency, installs and maintains "sneakies" throughout the U.S.S.R. and Communist China — but increasingly, denied areas are surveyed more simply.

   • 1991, Chapman Pincher, The Truth about Dirty Tricks

     […] has used travellers to plant 'sneakies' - small electronic transmitting devices which form part of a surveillance network.

Anagrams

• Kaysen, Sankey, Yankes, snakey