shifty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈshif-tē 

shiftier; shiftiest

1

: full of or ready with expedients : resourceful

2

a

: given to deception, evasion, or fraud : tricky

b

: capable of evasive movement : elusive

a shifty boxer

3

: indicative of a tricky nature

shifty eyes

shiftily

ˈshif-tə-lē 

adverb

shiftiness

ˈshif-tē-nəs 

noun

shiftiness

2 of 2

noun

shift·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

-tin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being shifty : trickiness

a look of shiftiness and hardness, a mixture of prison and the boxing ring

—John Masefield

Synonyms of shifty

Adjective

• shady
• sneaky

Examples of shifty in a Sentence

Adjective

shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts

shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Jackson Blake One third of the proficient Stankoven line, Blake is shifty as can be and has had a postseason full of big plays. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 8 June 2026

Catalina suffers from an unspecified mental disability, which Saavedra, who is not handicapped, performs in an arguably inappropriate register of fidgety hands and shifty-eyed glances. —Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026

Wiggins wears a shifty bowler hat and takes notes on Jol and Louisa, then reports back to Frances. —Alice Burton, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026

Here, his work leans into the shifty uncanniness of Altman’s two (or more)-facedness. —Cath Virginia, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shifty

• fifty
• nifty
• thrifty
• unthrifty

Kids Definition

shifty

adjective

ˈshif-tē 

shiftier; shiftiest

1

: not worthy of trust : tricky

2

: indicating a tricky character

shifty eyes

shiftily

-tə-lē 

adverb

shiftiness

-tē-nəs 

noun