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tricky

American  
[trik-ee] / ˈtrɪk i /

adjective

trickier, trickiest

  1. given to or characterized by deceitful tricks; crafty; wily.

    Synonyms:
    shrewd, sly, artful

  2. skilled in clever tricks or dodges.

    Synonyms:
    adroit, skillful

  3. deceptive, uncertain, or difficult to deal with or handle.

    Synonyms:
    perilous, unreliable, unpredictable, doubtful
tricky British  
/ ˈtrɪkɪ /

adjective

  1. involving snags or difficulties

    a tricky job

  2. needing careful and tactful handling

    a tricky situation

  3. characterized by tricks; sly; wily

    a tricky dealer
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • trickily adverb
  • trickiness noun

Etymology

Origin of tricky

First recorded in 1780–90; trick + -y 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.