sneaky
/ˈsniːki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsniːki/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsnē-kē/ (ame, mw)
sneaky — 形容詞
- sneakypositive
- sneakiercomparative
- sneakiestsuperlative
1. describes a person who acts in a hidden, underhand way to get what they want, of
狡猾的
以隱密欺騙方式做事的
describes a person who acts in a hidden, underhand way to get what they want, often by breaking rules or deceiving other people — for example, a neighbour who reads your post or a colleague who takes credit for your work.
The sneaky salesman hid extra charges in the contract without telling anyone.
那個狡猾的業務員在合約中加入額外費用，卻沒有告訴任何人。
sneaky + noun describing a dishonest person
It was sneaky of Mei-Lin to take the last slice of pizza while her friends were not looking.
Mei-Lin 趁朋友不注意時偷偷拿走最後一片披薩，這樣做很狡猾。
it was sneaky of [person] to [verb]
The neighbour's sneaky habit of reading other people's mail made everyone in the building angry.
鄰居偷看別人郵件的狡猾行為，讓整棟大樓的住戶都很生氣。
A group of students played a sneaky trick on their teacher by hiding all the chalk.
一群學生對老師耍了一個狡猾的惡作劇，把所有的粉筆都藏了起來。
The security guard caught the sneaky teenager trying to climb over the fence after dark.
警衛抓住了一個狡猾的青少年，他試圖在天黑後翻越圍欄。
- sly
similar but often suggests cleverness and craftiness, like a fox outsmarting others
- cunning
can be slightly admiring; focuses on intelligent trickery rather than petty secrecy
- underhand
more formal; emphasises unfair or unethical methods over the secrecy aspect
- deceitful
stronger focus on lying and intentionally misleading others
- honest
truthful and fair, the direct opposite of sneaky behaviour
- open
transparent about actions and intentions, no hidden agenda
- straightforward
direct and clear, without trickery
文法句型
sneaky + noun
it was sneaky of [person] to [verb]
用法筆記
Applies to a person's character or typical way of behaving, not a single innocent act. Sense 2 ('GUILTY PLEASURE') is different — there 'sneaky' describes a specific secret activity, never a person's character.
常見錯誤
2. describes an activity or indulgence that you keep hidden from other people, espe
偷偷的
瞞著他人進行的（多指不該做的事）
describes an activity or indulgence that you keep hidden from other people, especially because it is against a rule or you feel guilty about it — for example, a cigarette you hide from your family or a piece of cake you eat before dinner.
After dinner, Sofia had a sneaky cigarette behind the garage.
晚餐後，Sofia 偷偷跑到車庫後面抽了一根菸。
sneaky + noun (guilty secret activity)
The cashier took a sneaky bite of chocolate from a box meant for a customer.
收銀員從原本要送給客人的巧克力盒裡偷偷咬了一口。
The office workers planned a sneaky trip to the cinema during their lunch break.
辦公室同事們計劃在午休時間偷偷溜去看電影。
Mei-Lin's little brother kept a sneaky stash of candy under his bed.
Mei-Lin 的弟弟在床底下偷偷藏了一堆糖果。
Grandpa enjoys a sneaky nap on the sofa while my grandmother tends the garden.
爺爺趁奶奶在院子裡整理花草的時候，偷偷在沙發上打個盹。
- secret
neutral tone, no guilty feeling implied
- clandestine
much more formal, often used for secret meetings or relationships
- furtive
suggests nervous, hurried secrecy as if trying not to get caught
- open
done publicly, nothing to hide
- above board
completely honest and within the rules
文法句型
sneaky + noun (an activity or indulgence kept secret)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun — you can say 'a sneaky cigarette' but not 'the cigarette was sneaky'. This sense describes the activity itself, never the character of the person doing it. Compare with sense 1 ('SECRET AND DISHONEST').