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 Undoing those leases later, officials add, could be tricky and expensive for the state. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 Solar observation can be tricky or underwhelming when trying to observe with handheld methods such as using solar eclipse glasses and solar binoculars. — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The second trickier and clumsier aside happens when Banderas’ chef tells Tony the tragedy of 17th century French cook François Vatel, who literally fell on his sword before serving a banquet to Louis XIV. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 How to Deadhead Hydrangeas Learning how to deadhead hydrangeas in the summer isn’t tricky. — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tricky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricky

Adjective

The shortcomings of Usman and Dvalishvili, future Hall of Famers, only point to how difficult the historic mark was to reach.

— Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
The Teamsters have been enthusiastically endorsing the bill specifically because, while 40-something employers would be difficult to collectively bargain against, DSP workers would be much easier to organize once within Amazon.

— Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

With the correct number of dots, no arrangement, however cunning, can dodge these shapes forever.

— Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026
The simplest way to protect them from being ripped off by a cunning adversary is to get the customer in a queue and serve them your special magic on your terms.

— Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Coventry, for example, face Manchester City away in Gameweek Three, while some of the teams worth targeting early like Manchester United, Chelsea and Sunderland have tougher fixtures in Gameweeks Three or Four.

— Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
This summer has seen a confluence of challenges, including excessive heat that allows food contamination to grow and a pathogen that’s particularly tough to pin down.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

After Culkin penned a sweet message to Song on Instagram at the time, the actress responded by posting a cute Polaroid-style snap of the couple sharing a kiss on her own Instagram page.

— Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
There are some really cute rooftop spots in the Beverly Hills area.

— Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of cute

Adjective

There’s the slick, glad-handing publisher of Hamptons magazine, and the feisty Citarella market scion who would love to have her picture featured in its pages.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
When shoppers lose their traction on slick, unforgiving floors, severe bruising, fractured wrists, spinal pain, and concussions are common results.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of slick

Adjective

So far, none of those efforts has been successful, and opponents say hunting would do little to address the most problematic bears that tend to live closer to residential neighborhoods.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Differences in ages between adults aren’t inherently problematic, but one’s experiences in life can change dramatically between 18 and 23.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting.

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Izquierdo recommends asking for softly disconnected layers, a blended curtain fringe, and soft, subtle texture.

— Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of subtle

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“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricky. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tricky

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