Tricky
/ˈtrɪki/noun
Difficult to deal with, requiring care or skill, or sly and deceptive.
Did you know?“Trick” likely began in Middle Dutch as a word for a playful or deceitful turn, and English turned it into the language of deception, illusion, and clever misdirection.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Dutch
nl
tricken
“to trick, deceive, or play a trick”
15th Century
English
trik
“a deceit, prank, or clever device”
16th Century
English
tricke
“a deceptive act or a clever feat”
17th Century
English
tricky
“given to tricks; sly, artful”
Modern English
English
tricky
“difficult, awkward, or deceitfully clever”