English Explanatory Dictionary

crafty

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Skillful at deceiving others.
  2. Sneaky; surreptitious.
  3. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous.
  4. Possessing dexterity; skilled; skillful.
  5. Magical or occult, or allegedly so.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɹæfti/ /ˈkɹɑːfti/ en-us-crafty.ogg

Word forms

crafty craftier craftiest

Etymology

From Middle English crafty, crefty, craftiȝ, from Old English cræftiġ (“ingenious; skilful; crafty; cunning; virtuous; powerful”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraftag, *kraftīg, *kraftug, from Proto-Germanic *kraftugaz (“powerful”), equivalent to craft + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian kräftich, krääftig, West Frisian krêftich, Dutch krachtig, German Low German krachtig, German kräftig.

Synonyms

cunning wily

Derived words

craftily craftiness outcrafty uncrafty
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