tricky

English

Etymology

From trick +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪk.i/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪki

Adjective

tricky (comparative trickier, superlative trickiest)

1. Hard to deal with, complicated.

   They were in a tricky situation.

   • 1964 September, “News: Fewer diesels for NER in 1965”, in Modern Railways, page 201:

     Several types of diesel locomotive have been tested on this working and as a result the probable choice will be Type 2 diesels in pairs, without bankers. The crucial factor in the selection of this method is the higher degree of adhesion obtained than with a single Type 4; on trial one of the latter showed that in very adverse conditions it might slip to a standstill at one of the two tricky spots on the steep climb from Tyne Dock to Consett.

   • 2012 September 15, Amy Lawrence, “Arsenal's Gervinho enjoys the joy of six against lowly Southampton”, in the Guardian‎^[1]:

     It was as comfortable an afternoon as Arsène Wenger could have wished for in a situation that can be tricky in between internationals and the upcoming Champions League.

2. Adept at using deception.

   A tricky salesman can sell anything.

3. (colloquial, slang) Relating to or associated with a prostitution trick.

   I don't want any of your tricky money, thank you!

Related terms

• trick

Translations

hard to deal with

• Armenian: նենգոտ (hy) (nengot)
• Bulgarian: труден (bg) (truden), сложен (bg) (složen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 麻烦 (zh) (máfan)

• Dutch: netelig (nl), netelige (nl)
• Estonian: keeruline (et), täbar
• Finnish: hankala (fi), tukala (fi)
• French: épineux (fr), compliqué (fr), complexe (fr), délicat (fr)
• German: schwierig (de), heikel (de)
• Greek: περίπλοκος (el) (períplokos), μπερδεμένος (el) (berdeménos)
• Hebrew: טְרִיקִי‎
• Hungarian: nehéz (hu), fogas (hu), fogós (hu), húzós (hu)
• Italian: insidioso (it), ingannevole (it), pericoloso (it)
• Polish: podchwytliwy
• Portuguese: complicado (pt)
• Russian: каверзны́й (ru) (kaverznýj), щекотли́вый (ru) (ščekotlívyj)
• Spanish: difícil (es), dificultoso (es), chungo (es) (colloquial), se las trae (colloquial), tener su intríngulis (colloquial)
• Swedish: knepig (sv), meckig (sv) (colloquial)
• Turkish: güç (tr), zor (tr)

adept at using deception

• Bulgarian: мошенически (bg) (mošeničeski)
• Dutch: listig (nl), listige (nl)
• Estonian: kaval, petlik
• Finnish: ovela (fi), juonikas (fi), tukala (fi)
• French: rusé (fr), malin (fr), retors (fr)
• German: gerissen (de)
• Greek: δυσνόητος (el) (dysnóitos)
• Hungarian: ravasz (hu), cseles (hu), trükkös (hu), fifikás, ördöngös (hu), dörzsölt (hu), furfangos (hu), agyafúrt (hu)
• Irish: cleasach
• Japanese: 狡猾な (ja) (kōkatsu na)
• Latin: dolōsus
• Portuguese: truqueiro (pt)
• Russian: проны́рливый (ru) (pronýrlivyj), ло́вкий (ru) (lóvkij), оборо́тистый (ru) (oborótistyj)
• Swedish: lurig (sv), listig (sv), knepig (sv)
• Turkish: aldatıcı (tr), kurnaz (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 까다로운 (kkadaroun)
• Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 棘手的

See also

• sneaky