Clever in a sneaky way. A wily person gets what they want by planning, by tricking others, or by seeing a trap before anyone else does — not by being strong and not by being honest. Say it as /ˈwaɪ-li/, two syllables, and note that it rhymes with 'smiley', not with 'silly'.

Clever in a sneaky way聰明，但是用偷偷摸摸的方式。A wily person gets what they wantwily 的人會得到他想要的東西——by planning靠計畫、by tricking others靠騙別人、or by seeing a trap before anyone else does或是比別人早一步看出陷阱——not by being strong and not by being honest而不是靠強壯，也不是靠誠實。Say it as /ˈwaɪ-li/唸成 /ˈwaɪ-li/，two syllables兩個音節，and note that it rhymes with 'smiley', not with 'silly'而且要注意它是跟 'smiley' 押韻，不是跟 'silly'。

The word carries a mix of feelings that is hard to pin down. Most of the time there is a smile inside it: a wily old fox, a wily negotiator, a wily grandmother who always knows when you are lying. You are half-complaining and half-admiring. It is not the flat insult that 'dishonest' or 'sly' would be — 'sly' feels cold and unpleasant, 'wily' feels like the person is playing a game and playing it well.

The word carries a mix of feelings這個字帶著一種混合的感覺，that is hard to pin down很難說得準確。Most of the time there is a smile inside it大多時候裡面帶著一點笑意：a wily old fox, a wily negotiator, a wily grandmother who always knows when you are lying像老奸巨猾的狐狸（a wily old fox）、精明的談判者（a wily negotiator）、總能看穿你說謊的精明奶奶（a wily grandmother who always knows when you are lying）。You are half-complaining and half-admiring你是一半在抱怨，一半在佩服。It is not the flat insult that 'dishonest' or 'sly' would be它不像 'dishonest' 或 'sly' 那樣是純粹的罵人話——'sly' feels cold and unpleasant'sly' 給人的感覺是冷冷的、討人厭，'wily' feels like the person is playing a game and playing it well'wily' 給人的感覺是這個人在玩一場遊戲，而且玩得很好。

That is why it attaches so easily to animals in stories, to old people who have seen everything, and to politicians and lawyers, where people accept that tricks are part of the job. Though actually, if you use it about someone who cheated you out of real money, the smile disappears and it just means 'he fooled me'. So the same word can be light or heavy depending on who was hurt.

That is why it attaches so easily to這就是為什麼它很容易被用在 animals in stories故事裡的動物、to old people who have seen everything什麼都見過的老人、and to politicians and lawyers還有政治人物和律師身上——where people accept that tricks are part of the job因為大家都接受耍點手段是這些工作的一部分。Though actually不過，if you use it about someone who cheated you out of real money如果你用它來說一個真的騙走你錢的人，the smile disappears那種笑意就會消失，and it just means 'he fooled me'只剩下「他把我耍了」的意思。So the same word can be light or heavy所以同一個字可以很輕鬆，也可以很沉重，depending on who was hurt要看受傷的是誰。

It is a slightly bookish, storybook word — you meet it in novels and news writing much more than in everyday speech, where people would just say 'he's clever' or 'he's sneaky'.

It is a slightly bookish, storybook word這個字有點書卷氣，像故事書裡的字——you meet it in novels and news writing much more than in everyday speech你在小說和新聞寫作裡遇到它的機會，比日常說話多很多，where people would just say 'he's clever' or 'he's sneaky'日常說話大家就直接講 'he's clever' 或 'he's sneaky'。

It only works before a noun or after 'be'; there is no verb and no common adverb (people avoid 'wilily' because it is hard to say). The noun 'wiliness' exists but is rare.

It only works before a noun or after 'be'它只能放在名詞前面，或是接在 'be' 動詞後面；there is no verb沒有動詞形，and no common adverb也沒有常用的副詞形（people avoid 'wilily' because it is hard to say大家會避免用 'wilily'，因為很難唸）。The noun 'wiliness' exists名詞 'wiliness' 是存在的，but is rare但很少見。