Word
shifty
US/ˈʃɪfti/
UK/ʃˈɪfti/
Definition
adj. untrustworthy or dishonest. You use this to describe someone who is trying to hide the truth or someone who looks like they are lying.
adj. untrustworthy or dishonest; having a suspicious or evasive manner. Often used to describe a person's character or a person's eyes that seem to avoid looking directly at you.
Examples
“He gave me a shifty look when I asked about the money.”
“The detective noticed the suspect's shifty eyes and decided to question him more closely about the timeline.”
“Despite his polished appearance, the witness's shifty behavior during the cross-examination suggested a lack of confidence in his own testimony.”
Examples
simple
“He gave me a shifty look when I asked about the money.”
contextual
“The detective noticed the suspect's shifty eyes and decided to question him more closely about the timeline.”
complex
“Despite his polished appearance, the witness's shifty behavior during the cross-examination suggested a lack of confidence in his own testimony.”
Etymology
From shift + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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