tricksy

adjective

ˈtrik-sē 

tricksier; tricksiest

1

: full of tricks : prankish

2

a

: difficult to cope with or handle : trying

a tricksy job

b

archaic : having the craftiness of a trickster

3

chiefly British : ornately contrived in technique or effect

4

archaic : smartly attired : spruce

tricksiness noun

Synonyms of tricksy

• difficult
• tough
• sensitive
• complicated
• problematic

Examples of tricksy in a Sentence

it's a bit tricksy to have a candid conversation with the company president without appearing to be either presumptuous or obsequious

a tricksy provocateur who will make the most outrageous statements just to get a reaction

Recent Examples on the Web

The structure is a bit tricksier, flipping between the present — which finds our two inevitable lovers estranged and in their early thirties — and a staggered series of flashbacks catching up to it. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026

Such films sometimes feel like tricksy technical experiments. —The Economist, 18 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

tricks, plural of trick

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Rhymes for tricksy

• pixie