different between shady vs wily

English

Etymology

From shade +? -y. Compare Saterland Frisian skaadich, skaddich (“shady”), German schattig (“shady”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??e?di/
• Rhymes: -e?di

Adjective

shady (comparative shadier, superlative shadiest)

1. Abounding in shades.
2. Causing shade.

   • The shady trees cover him with their shadow.

3. Overspread with shade; sheltered from the glare of light or sultry heat.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Building

     you may have rooms both for summer and winter; shady for summer, and warm for winter

4. (informal) Not trustworthy; disreputable.

   He is a shady character.

   • 2009: Stuart Heritage, Hecklerspray, Friday the 22^nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”

     Jon & Kate Plus 8 is a show based on two facts: 1) Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children, and 2) the word ‘Kate’ rhymes with the word ‘eight’. One suspects that if Kate were ever to have another child, a shady network executive would urge her to put it in a binbag with a brick and drop it down a well. But this is just a horrifying tangent.

5. (Britain, slang) Mean, cruel.

   Don't be shady, give us a go.

Synonyms

• (not trustworthy): corrupt, dodgy, dubious, equivocal, seedy, sketchy, suspicious

Translations

Anagrams

• dashy

English

Etymology

From Middle English wily, wiley, wyly; equivalent to wile +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa?.li/
• Rhymes: -a?li
• Homophone: Wylie
• Hyphenation: wi?ly

Adjective

wily (comparative wilier or more wily, superlative wiliest or most wily)

1. Sly, cunning, full of tricks

   Horatio's new girlfriend is a wily coquette and poor Horatio is too smitten to see it.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:wily

Derived terms

• wilily
• wiliness

Translations