Antonyms for on the sly
| Grammar : Adj, adv |
| Spell : slahy |
| Phonetic Transcription : slaɪ |
Definition of on the sly
Origin :- c.1200, "skillful, clever, dexterous," from Old Norse sloegr "cunning, crafty, sly," from Proto-Germanic *slogis (cf. Low German slu "cunning, sly," German schlau), probably from base *slak- "to strike, hit" (see slay (v.)), with an original notion of "able to hit." Cf. German verschlagen "cunning, crafty, sly," schlagfertig "quick-witted," literally "strike-ready," from schlagen "to strike." A non-pejorative use of the word lingered in northern English dialect until 20c. On the sly "in secret" is recorded from 1812. Sly-boots "a seeming Silly, but subtil Fellow" is in the 1700 "Dictionary of the Canting Crew."
- As in surreptitious : adj sneaky, secret
- As in underground : adj secret, subversive
- As in subterrestrial : adj underground
- As in secretly : adv in hidden manner
- As in covertly : adv clandestine, underhandedly
Synonyms for on the sly
- alternative
- avant-garde
- behind closed doors
- behind someone's back
- by stealth
- clandestine
- clandestinely
- concealed
- confidentially
- covert
- covertly
- experimental
- fraudulent
- furtive
- furtively
- hidden
- hole-and-corner
- hush-hush
- hypogeal
- hypogean
- hypogeous
- in camera
- in confidence
- in holes and corners
- in secret
- in strict confidence
- insidiously
- intimately
- obscurely
- on the QT
- on the quiet
- on the sly
- personally
- private
- privately
- privily
- quietly
- radical
- resistant
- resistive
- revolutionary
- secretly
- skulking
- slinking
- sly
- slyly
- sneaking
- stealthily
- stealthy
- sub rosa
- sub-rosa
- subterranean
- surreptitious
- surreptitiously
- unauthorized
- unbowed
- unconventional
- under the table
- under wraps
- under-the-table
- undercover
- underhand
- underhandedly
- unobserved
- unusual
- veiled
- wildcat
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019