different between ingenious vs tricky

English

Alternative forms

• engenious (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ingénieux, from Old French engenious, from Latin ingeni?sus (“endowed with good natural capacity, gifted with genius”), from ingenium (“innate or natural quality, natural capacity, genius”), from in- (“in”) +? gignere (“to produce”), Old Latin genere. See also engine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d?i?nj?s/, /?n?d?i?ni?s/
• Rhymes: -i?ni?s
• Hyphenation: in?ge?nious

Adjective

ingenious (comparative more ingenious, superlative most ingenious)

1. (of a person) Displaying genius or brilliance; tending to invent.

2. (of a thing) Characterized by genius; cleverly done or contrived.

3. Witty; original; shrewd; adroit; keen; sagacious.

Usage notes

Do not confuse with ingenuous.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:witty
• See also Thesaurus:intelligent

Related terms

Translations

References

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

English

Etymology

From trick +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??ki/

• Rhymes: -?ki

Adjective

tricky (comparative trickier, superlative trickiest)

1. hard to deal with, complicated

   They were in a tricky situation.
2. adept at using deception

   A tricky salesman can sell anything.

3. (colloquial, slang) Relating to or associated with a prostitution trick

   I don't want any of your tricky money, thank you!

Related terms

• trick

Translations

See also

• sneaky