Shifty: meaning, definitions and examples

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shifty

 

[ ˈʃɪfti ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

behavior

Deceitful or evasive; displaying a lack of trustworthiness.

Synonyms

deceitful, evasive, suspicious, untrustworthy

Examples of usage

  • He gave me a shifty look when I asked about his whereabouts.
  • The shifty salesman couldn't look me in the eye.
  • I don't trust him, he seems too shifty.
  • The shifty behavior of the suspect raised red flags for the police.
  • She noticed his shifty gaze during the conversation.
Context #2 | Adjective

appearance

Having a sly or untrustworthy look.

Synonyms

crafty, sly, suspicious, untrustworthy

Examples of usage

  • The shifty character in the movie was always up to something.
  • She avoided the shifty man standing in the alley.
  • His shifty eyes darted around the room nervously.
  • The detective noticed the shifty behavior of the suspect.

Translations

Translations of the word "shifty" in other languages:

🇵🇹 astuto

🇮🇳 चालाक

🇩🇪 schlau

🇮🇩 licik

🇺🇦 хитрий

🇵🇱 przebiegły

🇯🇵 狡猾な

🇫🇷 rusé

🇪🇸 astuto

🇹🇷 kurnaz

🇰🇷 교활한

🇸🇦 ماكر

🇨🇿 lstivý

🇸🇰 prefíkaný

🇨🇳 狡猾的

🇸🇮 zvijačen

🇮🇸 slóttugur

🇰🇿 айлакер

🇬🇪 გამოცდილი

🇦🇿 hiyləgər

🇲🇽 astuto

Word origin

The word 'shifty' originated in the mid-19th century, derived from the verb 'shift' with the suffix '-y'. It originally referred to someone who frequently changed their position or behavior, often with negative connotations. Over time, it has come to describe someone who is deceitful, evasive, or untrustworthy.

See also: shift, shiftiness, shifting, shiftingly, shifts.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #29,817, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.