English Dictionary

SLYLY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does slyly mean? 

SLYLY (adverb)
  The adverb SLYLY has 1 sense:

1. in an artful mannerplay

  Familiarity information: SLYLY used as an adverb is very rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


SLYLY (adverb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

In an artful manner

Synonyms:

artfully; craftily; cunningly; foxily; knavishly; slyly; trickily

Context example:

had ever circumstances conspired so cunningly?

Pertainym:

sly (marked by skill in deception)


 Context examples 


For half an hour he had been steadily regarding it, and for half an hour I had been slyly watching him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“Can your name be RUMPELSTILTSKIN?” said the lady slyly.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

He watched me keenly and slyly, his chin all the while on his breast.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight to him; yet it was a greater delight slyly to precipitate a fight amongst his mates and tangle the traces.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"Genius. Don't you wish you could give it to me, Laurie?" And she slyly smiled in his disappointed face.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He saw the necessity of inviting the Miss Steeles immediately, and his conscience was pacified by the resolution of inviting his sisters another year; at the same time, however, slyly suspecting that another year would make the invitation needless, by bringing Elinor to town as Colonel Brandon's wife, and Marianne as THEIR visitor.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

As he walked up and down that part of the courtyard which was at the side of the house, with the stray rooks and jackdaws looking after him with their heads cocked slyly, as if they knew how much more knowing they were in worldly affairs than he, if any sort of vagabond could only get near enough to his creaking shoes to attract his attention to one sentence of a tale of distress, that vagabond was made for the next two days.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The actors may be glad, but the bystanders must be infinitely more thankful for a decision; and I do sincerely give you joy, madam, as well as Mrs. Norris, and everybody else who is in the same predicament, glancing half fearfully, half slyly, beyond Fanny to Edmund.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

"Wouldn't you have a master for your castle in the air?" asked Laurie slyly.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

After the dance was at an end she managed to slip out, so slyly that the king did not see where she was gone; but she sprang into her little cabin, and made herself into Cat-skin again, and went into the kitchen to cook the soup.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"But an unwatched kettle over boils!" (English proverb)

"Two watermelons can’t be grabbed in one hand." (Afghanistan proverb)

"The ant shall never crawl on its knees." (Arabic proverb)

"When two dogs fight over a bone, a third one carries it away." (Dutch proverb)



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