"on the sly" meaning in English

See on the sly in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

Audio: En-au-on the sly.ogg
Head templates: {{head|en|adverb}} on the sly
  1. (idiomatic) Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: clandestinely, furtively, on the down-low, on the quiet, on the Q.T. Translations (slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily): əlaltından (Azerbaijani), əlaltı (Azerbaijani), 偷偷 (tōutōu) (Chinese Mandarin), 悄悄 (qiāoqiāo) (Chinese Mandarin), in het geheim (Dutch), vaivihkaa (Finnish), salaa (Finnish), en douce (French), à la dérobée (French), en cachette (French), à la sauvette (French), ás agachadas (Galician), heimlich (German), titokban (Hungarian), lopva (Hungarian), alattomban (Hungarian), suttyomban (Hungarian), ukradkiem (Polish), втихаря́ (vtixarjá) (Russian), исподтишка́ (ispodtišká) (Russian), тайко́м (tajkóm) (Russian), укра́дкой (ukrádkoj) (Russian), потихо́ньку (potixónʹku) (Russian), тихо́нько (tixónʹko) (Russian), de extranjis (Spanish), i smyg (Swedish)
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
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          "ref": "1857, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 16, in The Virginians:",
          "text": "This diversion was enjoyed on the sly, and unknown to the ladies of the house.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984 December 15, John Kyper, “Remembering David Stryker”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 22, page 5:",
          "text": "He was working for us on the sly at the Herald-Traveler-Record-American (before it shortened its topheavy name), then as now a reactionary, homophobic rag. Evidently he placed himself at some risk to help us, I learned later, because he was threatened with dismissal for his unauthorized use of the typesetter.",
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        "Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily."
      ],
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          "Slyly",
          "slyly"
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        [
          "inconspicuous",
          "inconspicuous"
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        [
          "secretly",
          "secretly"
        ],
        [
          "stealthily",
          "stealthily"
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        "(idiomatic) Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily."
      ],
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        {
          "word": "clandestinely"
        },
        {
          "word": "furtively"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the down-low"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the quiet"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the Q.T."
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "əlaltından"
        },
        {
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "əlaltı"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "tōutōu",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "偷偷"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qiāoqiāo",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "悄悄"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "in het geheim"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "vaivihkaa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "salaa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "en douce"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "à la dérobée"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "en cachette"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "à la sauvette"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "ás agachadas"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "heimlich"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "titokban"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "lopva"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "alattomban"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "suttyomban"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "ukradkiem"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "vtixarjá",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "втихаря́"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ispodtišká",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "исподтишка́"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tajkóm",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "тайко́м"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ukrádkoj",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "укра́дкой"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "potixónʹku",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "потихо́ньку"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tixónʹko",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "тихо́нько"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "de extranjis"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
          "word": "i smyg"
        }
      ]
    }
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  "word": "on the sly"
}
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  "lang_code": "en",
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        "Terms with German translations",
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        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations"
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          "ref": "1857, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 16, in The Virginians:",
          "text": "This diversion was enjoyed on the sly, and unknown to the ladies of the house.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984 December 15, John Kyper, “Remembering David Stryker”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 22, page 5:",
          "text": "He was working for us on the sly at the Herald-Traveler-Record-American (before it shortened its topheavy name), then as now a reactionary, homophobic rag. Evidently he placed himself at some risk to help us, I learned later, because he was threatened with dismissal for his unauthorized use of the typesetter.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Slyly",
          "slyly"
        ],
        [
          "inconspicuous",
          "inconspicuous"
        ],
        [
          "secretly",
          "secretly"
        ],
        [
          "stealthily",
          "stealthily"
        ]
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        "(idiomatic) Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "clandestinely"
        },
        {
          "word": "furtively"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the down-low"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the quiet"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the Q.T."
        }
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "əlaltından"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "əlaltı"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "tōutōu",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "偷偷"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qiāoqiāo",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "悄悄"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "in het geheim"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "vaivihkaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "salaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "en douce"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "à la dérobée"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "en cachette"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "à la sauvette"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "ás agachadas"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "heimlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "titokban"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "lopva"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "alattomban"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "suttyomban"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "ukradkiem"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vtixarjá",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "втихаря́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ispodtišká",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "исподтишка́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tajkóm",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "тайко́м"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ukrádkoj",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "укра́дкой"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "potixónʹku",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "потихо́ньку"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tixónʹko",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "тихо́нько"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "de extranjis"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily",
      "word": "i smyg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "on the sly"
}

Download raw JSONL data for on the sly meaning in English (6.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (bb46d54 and 0c3c9f6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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