WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
shift•y /ˈʃɪfti/USA pronunciation
adj., -i•er, -i•est.
shift•i•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- avoiding direct dealings or talk; evasive:gave me a shifty glance, refusing to meet my gaze.
shift•i•ness, n. [uncountable]
shift•y
(shif′tē),USA pronunciation adj., shift•i•er, shift•i•est.
shift′i•ly, adv.
shift′i•ness, n.
- resourceful;
fertile in expedients. - given to or full of evasions;
tricky. - suggesting a deceptive or evasive character:a shifty look.
- shift + -y1 1560–70
shift′i•ness, n.
- 2. . crafty, foxy, slippery.