Synonyms for cagey

Most common

shy · evasive · reticent · clever · canny · cautious · chary

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

Definitions

1. adj. 1

   Uncommunicative; unwilling or hesitant to give information.

2. adj. 2

   Wary, careful, shrewd.

Related words

Word family

cagily

Other spellings

cagy

Example sentences

• shy Shy children never laugh until everyone else does.
• evasive Yanni didn't maintain eye contact and was evasive.
• reticent He is reticent and he never speaks unless spoken to.
• clever The dog was so clever that he seemed almost human.
• canny He was a skilled strategist and canny political operator.
• cautious Be cautious around the well, accidents can happen.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

shy¹

5 letters

canny², chary²

6 letters

clever²

7 letters

evasive³

8 letters

cautious², reticent³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (canny² = 2 syllables).