verschlagen

sly, shifty, cunning

adjective fer-SHLAH-gen Rare

Also means

wily, devious

Usage Note

Verschlagen describes a furtive, calculating cunning that inspires distrust; verschlagene Augen — shifty eyes. More negative and threatening than gerissen. It implies concealment and deception as part of the character.

Examples

"Sein verschlagener Blick verriet seine unehrlichen Absichten."

Natural Translation

His shifty gaze betrayed his dishonest intentions.

Literal Translation

His sly look betrayed his dishonest intentions.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read