Deceitful
Deceitful adjective - Tending or having power to deceive.
Usage example: the deceitful salesman neglected to mention some important information about the used car
Sly is a synonym for deceitful in dishonest topic. In some cases you can use "Sly" instead the word "Deceitful" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like character trait, artful, crafty, cunning.
Sly
Sly adjective - Clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means.
Usage example: the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop
Deceitful is a synonym for sly in cunning topic. You can use "Deceitful" instead the word "Sly" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as character trait, artful, crafty, dishonest.
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- In Brian Jacques' Redwall series, foxes are stereotyped as sly, deceitful, vaguely magical tricksters and all-around Manipulative Bastard types - many are fortunetellers with fashion choices seeming to prefer brightly colored skirts and headscarves, and bangles.
Source: Useful Notes / Romani
Cite this Source
Sly and Deceitful. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/deceitful/sly
Deceitful & Sly. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/deceitful/sly>.
Sly or Deceitful. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/deceitful/sly.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "deceitful" and "sly" have occurred on timeline