crafty

adjective

ˈkraf-tē 

craftier; craftiest

1

: skillful, clever

2

a

: adept in the use of subtlety and cunning

a crafty swindler

The crafty detective got the suspect to confess to the crime.

b

: marked by subtlety and guile

a crafty scheme

craftily

ˈkraf-tə-lē 

adverb

craftiness

ˈkraf-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• cunning
• cute

Choose the Right Synonym for crafty

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of crafty in a Sentence

a crafty real estate broker who got people to sell their property at bargain prices

Recent Examples on the Web

Tucker has been crafty on the base paths, recording 25 steals on 28 attempts. —Data Skrive, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Venturini Fendi’s last collection was shown in Milan last week for spring 2026, a colorful, crafty and fun ready-to-wear lineup and new highly embellished versions of some of the most successful accessories for the brand, including the Baguette and the Peekaboo. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025

One crafty Solana Beach family has turned decorative succulent pumpkin arrangements into help for seniors in need at the Community Resource Center in Encinitas. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025

As far as micro-trends are concerned, Brown says not to be surprised to see some of the craftier styles become more dominant in the new year, too. —Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see craft entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crafty

• arty-crafty

Rhymes for crafty

• drafty

Kids Definition

crafty

adjective

ˈkraf-tē 

craftier; craftiest

: skillful at deceiving others

craftily

-tə-lē 

adverb

craftiness

-tē-nəs 

noun