Synonyms of cagey

cagey

adjective

ˈkā-jē 

variants also cagy

1

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• cute
• slick
• subtle
• deceptive
• wily
• dishonest
• fraudulent
• shrewd
• sly
• treacherous
• tricky
• crafty
• crooked
• beguiling
• artful
• scheming
• devious
• designing
• foxy
• guileful
• shady
• dodgy
• deceitful
• calculating
• slippery
• astute
• sharp
• glib
• unscrupulous
• sneaky
• covert
• shifty
• clandestine
• oblique
• undercover
• Machiavellian
• facile
• plotting
• underhanded
• hypocritical
• serpentine
• circular
• knavish
• secret
• underhand
• circuitous
• roundabout
• concealed
• insincere
• furtive
• surreptitious
• backhanded
• insinuating
• stealthy
• two-faced
• mealy
• smooth-tongued
• mealymouthed
• double-dealing
• left-handed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ingenuous
• guileless
• innocent
• artless
• obvious
• open
• public
• plain
• outspoken
• forthright
• frank
• real
• honest
• candid
• simple
• direct
• sincere
• straightforward
• unaffected
• unconcealed
• natural
• unpretentious
• patent
• unvarnished
• unsophisticated
• childlike
• aboveboard
• impressionable
• unworldly
• unpretending
• simpleminded
• plainspoken
• undesigning
• unstudied
• trusting
• unforced
• trustful

2

as in reluctant

slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty

when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reluctant
• hesitant
• unwilling
• unsure
• dubious
• loath
• skeptical
• reticent
• uncertain
• indisposed
• disinclined
• timid
• doubtful
• ambivalent
• unenthusiastic
• averse
• conflicted
• questioning
• irresolute
• wobbly
• indecisive
• faltering
• uneager
• infirm
• undecided
• shy
• vacillating
• halting
• fainthearted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eager
• enthusiastic
• inclined
• happy
• glad
• keen
• ready
• willing
• disposed
• certain
• sure
• decided
• resolute
• determined
• unquestioning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cagey

Carr has been cagey on the potential outcome of the license renewal proceeding. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026

As Vidal quietly made the rounds, normally vocal leaders were somewhat cagey, keeping comments focused on humanitarian support. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

After a reporter asked on Thursday, June 11 about Kelce’s progress during minicamp and if the coach was going to the upcoming wedding, Reid was cagey. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Lastly, this squad list suggests Pochettino is likely to lean into the main prinicples of his aggressive, transition-minded tactical identity that has defined most of his club managerial career, rather than adopt a more cautious approach for what can be the cagey stage of international football. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026