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tricky

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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From trick +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈtɹɪk.i/
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪki

Adjective

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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.
    • 1995 December 27, William H. Honan, “Personal Essay Questions: Turning Torture Into Fun”, in The New York Times[1]:
      "The trickiest we ever get," he continued, "is in the short-answer questions like, 'Why do you want to come to the University of Chicago?' or, 'What books have you read?'
    • 2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian[2]:
      That will prove a trickier test, the management having pinpointed Oleh Blokhin's side as "one of the favourites in the group", though they will confront an England team buoyed by this battering.
    • 2012 September 15, Amy Lawrence, “Arsenal's Gervinho enjoys the joy of six against lowly Southampton”, in the Guardian[3]:
      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.
    • 2003, “The Package”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
      Clever got me this far
      Then tricky got me in
      Eye on what I'm after
      I don't need another friend
  3. (colloquial, slang) Relating to or associated with a prostitution trick.
    I don't want any of your tricky money, thank you!

Derived terms

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Translations

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

See also

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