hinterlistig

deceitful, cunning

adjective HIN-ter-lis-tikh Rare

Also means

treacherous, sneaky

Usage Note

Hinterlistig describes someone who acts in a covert, manipulative way; stronger than listig (simply clever) and implies bad intent. Often paired with tückisch in literary contexts.

Examples

"Der hinterlistige Plan wurde schnell durchschaut."

Natural Translation

The devious plan was quickly seen through.

Literal Translation

The treacherous plan was quickly seen through.

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