tricky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtri-kē How to pronounce tricky (audio)
trickier; trickiest
Synonyms of trickynext
1
: inclined to or marked by trickery
2
a
: giving a deceptive impression of easiness, simplicity, or order : ticklish
a tricky path through the swamp
b
: trick sense 2
3
: requiring skill, knack, or caution (as in doing or handling) : difficult
a tricky problem
also : ingenious
a tricky rhythm
trickily
ˈtri-kə-lē How to pronounce tricky (audio)
adverb
trickiness
ˈtri-kē-nəs How to pronounce tricky (audio)
noun

trickiness

2 of 2

noun

trick·​i·​ness -kēnə̇s How to pronounce trickiness (audio)
-kin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being tricky

Synonyms of tricky

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for tricky

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of tricky in a Sentence

Adjective The lock is tricky to open. a tricky musical passage for the woodwind section
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The reconstruction was made trickier, however, by the fact that the crew weren’t allowed to take photographs inside Downing Street and there aren’t diagrams online. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 During harvest season when Healdsburg’s best reservations are that much trickier to secure, that perk alone is worth its weight in gold. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026 The researchers applied the same principle here, but the tricky part is that the weight needs to shift constantly as the robot climbs up. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026 At a tricky intersection, the car waited through one full light cycle and most of a second before attempting a left turn. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tricky

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tricky was in 1786

Rhymes for tricky

See All Rhymes for tricky

Browse Nearby Words

trick work
tricky
triclad
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tricky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tricky. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tricky

adjective
ˈtrik-ē How to pronounce tricky (audio)
trickier; trickiest
1
: likely to use or characterized by tricks or trickery
2
: requiring skill or caution : difficult
a tricky situation
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