tricky

adjective

ˈtri-kē How to pronounce tricky (audio)
Definition of trickynext
1
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling a tricky musical passage for the woodwind section

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 But, as Stein noted, the financial element could make a Holiday deal tricky to pull off. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 May 2025 The answer to this question is tricky, and deeply personal. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 That leg, which includes steep embankments and other tricky engineering and construction, carries a cost estimate of just more than $11 million. —The Vail Daily, Denver Post, 27 May 2025 Large and resilient produce like sweet potatoes and beets, or small, tricky vegetables like radishes, become simple to cut with a razor-sharp mandoline slicer. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tricky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tricky
  1. difficult
  2. cunning
  3. tough
  4. cute
  5. sensitive
  6. subtle
  7. problematic
  8. deceptive
Adjective
  • But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.
    — Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
  • The litigation in the case continues, but in the short term, many migrants will be left with difficult choices.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Hawkins knows exactly how to play Laura’s cheery psychopathy and cunning cruelties, and Wong, in her first film role, gives Piper a spirited independence.
    — Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • Rigg’s voice is sharp and engrossing, her characters cunning but affable.
    — Isle McElroy, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Definition of cunning
Adjective
  • When staring at twin suns like from much greater distances — many light-years away — astronomers have a much tougher time than young Skywalker in determining two stars from one.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 June 2025
  • This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.
    — Scott Stringer, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • The knotted fabric straps have an elevated look, making these cute enough to wear with your favorite sundresses and skirts.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2025
  • In addition to pool and beach looks, these slides look cute with baggy jeans and graphic tank tops, flowy midi dresses, and two-piece linen sets.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 May 2025
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • The lightweight formula is fragrance-free — ideal for sensitive skin — and doubles as a primer thanks to its matte finish.
    — Madison Yauger, People.com, 30 May 2025
  • These searches help keep digital communications and sensitive information safe.
    — Jeremiah Bartz, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Your new album, Faith, is a lot subtler than your debut, Signs.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
  • The family secrets were subtle but pervasive, reverberating not just through this nuclear family, but also across generations.
    — Susan Walter June 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • The comment was in answer to how Friends, in its second resurgence in the streaming era, was receiving some criticism for some of its problematic elements, i.e. the lack of diversity, homophobia, sexism, etc.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 7 June 2025
  • All signs point to some problematic visitors heading to Wellsbury in season 4.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of problematic
Adjective
  • Last year, the Biden administration's Transportation Department opened an inquiry ordering American, Delta Air Lines, Southwest and United to provide records and submit reports to ensure consumers do not face unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.
    — David Shepardson, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • The quest to build human-level AI agents using techniques known to produce deceptive tendencies, Bengio says, is comparable to a car speeding down a narrow mountain road, with steep cliffs on either side, and thick fog obscuring the path ahead.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
Definition of deceptive

Browse Nearby Words

tricksy
tricky
tricolor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tricky. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on tricky

Nglish: Translation of tricky for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All