Synonyms & related words for tricky

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of tricky — including tricksy, guileful, slippery, wily, crafty, cunning. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to tricky

Explore words related to tricky — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include dodgy, problematical, trickiness, dicey, quirkish, troublesome, problematic, fiddly. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for tricky

Common synonyms for tricky include tricksy, guileful, slippery, wily, crafty, cunning, sly, difficult — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does tricky come from?

The word tricky breaks down into 2 roots of Old French and Old English origin: trick, from Old French trichier (“to deceive”); and -y, from Old English -ig (“characterized by”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.