crafty

1 of 2

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

craftiness

2 of 2

noun

craft·​i·​ness ˈkraf-tē-nəs 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being crafty

Synonyms of crafty

Adjective

• cunning
• cute
• slick

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

Adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Crow-Armstrong has been crafty on the base paths, recording 25 steals on 31 attempts. — Data Skrive, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Attendees can also test their local knowledge with Valley Trivia, get crafty, and visit the Museum Mystic Tarot Card Reader. — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026

Odysseus is a complex character known for being brilliant and crafty, but also being somewhat of an arrogant trickster. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

The company expects a strong mix in popular fashion styles and more elevated crafty pieces will do well in Palm Beach. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see craft entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

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