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 This buy-in from the Ali estate is potentially tricky, though. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 The tricky job of understanding the desires and habits of an always-evolving consumer has taken on new complexity since the advent of artificial intelligence. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Some of the production’s strongest moments feature this sort of tricky tonal pivot, as when a punkish gamer (a terrific Wren Rivera) is unveiled as the gleeful consultant who selects organ recipients using an algorithm. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026 And what's tricky about this is Direct Instruction, the version invented by Zig, is the opposite of lecturing. — Belinda Luscombe, Time, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tricky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricky

Adjective

The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Sidibe gabbed gorgeously with Kimmel about American Horror Story, Halloween costumes, and raising mixed-gender twins (boys are less cunning and more Spider-Man oriented, apparently).

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
As a young teenager, I was immediately captivated by his commanding presence and charisma portraying King Leodegrance of Cameliard — Queen Guinevere’s noble father and a cunning warrior.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

With the balance of power in Tallahassee at stake, Miami’s Republican state senators fended off tough challenges Tuesday night, while Democratic candidates flipped several South Florida state House seats for the minority party in Florida’s capital.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Whoever wins the contest will be stepping into one of the California’s toughest political jobs.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

State officials had provided a version of the rolls that withheld such sensitive personal information, citing privacy concerns.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
An Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media or to discuss sensitive operational matters, also confirmed the withdrawal.

— Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Navigating macOS with the trackpad is a slick experience, and both the standard clicks and deeper presses feel as satisfying as ever.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
The slick series keeps these parallels on the subtle side, never allowing its messaging to interfere with its drama, action, or humor.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of slick

Adjective

What emerges from Carrère’s excavation of his mother’s past is a strikingly nuanced portrait of a brilliant, problematic scholar.

— Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Many legal experts, as well as the European Commission and the EU's top court, agree that reforms to the justice system introduced by PiS while in power were highly problematic.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of problematic

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“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricky. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of tricky

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