shifty

UK: /ˈʃɪfti/ US: /ˈʃɪfti/ ,(shif′tē)

Inflections of 'shifty' (adj):

shiftier

adj comparative

shiftiest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

shift•y /ˈʃɪfti/   adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

1. avoiding direct dealings or talk; evasive:
   gave me a shifty glance, refusing to meet my gaze.

shift•i•ly /ˈʃɪftəli/  adv. 
shift•i•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

shift•y  (shif′tē), adj., shift•i•er, shift•i•est. 

1. resourceful;
   fertile in expedients.
2. given to or full of evasions;
   tricky.
3. suggesting a deceptive or evasive character:
   a shifty look.

• shift + -y¹ 1560–70

shift′i•ly, adv. 
shift′i•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. . crafty, foxy, slippery.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

shifty / ˈʃɪftɪ/ adjective (shiftier, shiftiest)

1. given to evasions; artful
2. furtive in character or appearance

ˈshiftily adverb

ˈshiftiness noun