TRICKY Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'tricky' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of tricky are artful , crafty , cunning , foxy , slick , sly , and wily . While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering. // a tricky political operative

Q: When can 'artful' be used instead of 'tricky'?

While the synonyms artful and tricky are close in meaning, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness. // elicited the information by artful questioning

Q: When is it sensible to use 'crafty' instead of 'tricky'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tricky , crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method. // a crafty lefthander

Q: When might 'cunning' be a better fit than 'tricky'?

The words cunning and tricky can be used in similar contexts, but cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing. // the cunning fox avoided the trap

Q: When would 'foxy' be a good substitute for 'tricky'?

The synonyms foxy and tricky are sometimes interchangeable, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing. // a foxy publicity man planting stories

Q: When is 'slick' a more appropriate choice than 'tricky'?

In some situations, the words slick and tricky are roughly equivalent. However, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile. // slick operators selling time-sharing

Q: When could 'sly' be used to replace 'tricky'?

The words sly and tricky are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods. // a sly corporate raider

Q: Where would 'wily' be a reasonable alternative to 'tricky'?

The meanings of wily and tricky largely overlap; however, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering. // the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky

adjective

ˈtri-kē

Definition of tricky

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling a tricky musical passage for the woodwind section

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means he's a tricky one, so be careful when dealing with him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word tricky distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of tricky are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When can artful be used instead of tricky?

While the synonyms artful and tricky 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 tricky?

While in some cases nearly identical to tricky, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When might cunning be a better fit than tricky?

The words cunning and tricky can be used in similar contexts, but cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When would foxy be a good substitute for tricky?

The synonyms foxy and tricky are sometimes interchangeable, but foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is slick a more appropriate choice than tricky?

In some situations, the words slick and tricky are roughly equivalent. However, slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When could sly be used to replace tricky?

The words sly and tricky are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

Where would wily be a reasonable alternative to tricky?

The meanings of wily and tricky largely overlap; however, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tricky My complexion tends to be dry in some areas and oily in others, so striking the balance between glow and grease can be tricky. — Lucy Partington, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026 Teplinsky understands this can be a trickier risk factor to avoid completely. — Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Technology certainly has added another tricky layer to the parent-child relationship. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026 Where there’s smoke, there may be fire, but detecting sanctions evasion is tricky. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tricky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricky

Adjective

Performances across the board are strong, even if the characterizations themselves are more difficult to embrace.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Making short-haul rail more competitive Parallel argues that its system could open routes that are currently difficult for conventional rail services to serve economically, particularly journeys under 500 miles.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Last week, Alan Cumming’s cunning competition empire The Traitors unsheathed its most diabolical twist yet.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Now, Germino says her social media presence is all about giving other patients going through the same tough decision an example of someone who’s thriving after the procedure.

— Kara McGrath, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's administration is about to start tough budget negotiations against a backdrop of division and economic turmoil.

— Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

As a woman waded through the waters around the Bridge Side Marina in Bridge Isle, Louisiana, the tiny canine with a fluffy white coat wiggled his forelegs as if swimming, video of the cute moment shows.

— Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
The actress, who lends her voice to the fictional pop star Venus Nova in the film, sported a cute pair of strappy shoes that appear to be Manolo Blahnik’s Leva 105 Sandal.

— Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of cute

Adjective

Another network had received the notification by late Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.

— Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Pictet seemed sensitive to the moral risk of going into Syria for the wrong reasons.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

That calculation is pushing retail technology toward fitting-room innovation rather than slick checkout flows alone.

— Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
It’s paired with a blend of lightweight sunflower, olive, and jojoba oils that melt down makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum without leaving skin feeling slick or weighed down.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of slick

Adjective

That can become especially problematic after retirement, when income may be more limited and unexpected expenses could otherwise push card balances higher.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
There was a palpable sense of everything crumbling around you in terms of the culture, and even social interaction became problematic.

— Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

Poindexter featured his three daughters in his first campaign advertisement for the general election, taking a subtle dig at Miller.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
Later still, we are introduced to Satoko Iijima (Ishida), who again shares many defining features with her two namesakes, albeit with just enough subtle differences to keep the audience on the back foot.

— James Marsh, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of subtle

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tricksy

tricky

tricolor

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“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricky. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tricky

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