Synonyms of foxy

foxy

adjective

ˈfäk-sē 

as in cute

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

the oft-told story of the foxy flatterer who works her way up the ladder of success by stepping on people as she goes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foxy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of foxy are artful, crafty, cunning, slick, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When could artful be used to replace foxy?

While the synonyms artful and foxy are close in meaning, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When is it sensible to use crafty instead of foxy?

The words crafty and foxy can be used in similar contexts, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When might cunning be a better fit than foxy?

In some situations, the words cunning and foxy are roughly equivalent. However, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When can slick be used instead of foxy?

While in some cases nearly identical to foxy, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Where would sly be a reasonable alternative to foxy?

The meanings of sly and foxy largely overlap; however, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

In what contexts can tricky take the place of foxy?

The words tricky and foxy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When would wily be a good substitute for foxy?

The synonyms wily and foxy are sometimes interchangeable, but wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foxy

One highlight involves Wolf’s love interest, the literally and figuratively foxy Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz), visiting the villainous Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in prison looking for advice. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2025

With a lady photographer and a foxy actress named, incredibly, Poupee Bocar, K. & I sneak aboard the People’s Train for a day at Machu Picchu. —Tom Burke, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024

And the foxy new name has slowly but surely taken the already-popular shade of red hair to a new height of ubiquity. —Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 28 Sep. 2024

Kors himself joined the actress on the red carpet in a classic, low-key tuxedo, allowing Zendaya all the spotlight for this foxy moment. —Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024