adj
Meaning 1
Wary, careful, shrewd.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
cagey
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈkeɪd͡ʒi/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -eɪdʒi
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CMU ARPABET: K EY1 JH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Uncommunicative; unwilling or hesitant to give information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: evasive, reticent, shy
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
characterized by great caution and wariness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a cagey avoidance of a definite answer
- chary of the risks involved
- a chary investor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cagy, chary
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a cagey lawyer
- too clever to be sound
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cagy, canny, clever
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Initially US colloquial, of unknown origin. A connection with the behavior of caged prisoners (wary and closed-lipped) and caged animals (wary) has been speculated. If so, by surface analysis, cage + -y.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: предпазлив (predpazliv) — wary, careful, shrewd
- Bulgarian: потаен (potaen) — wary, careful, shrewd
- Chinese Mandarin: 小心的 — wary, careful, shrewd
- Chinese Mandarin: 谨慎的 — wary, careful, shrewd
- Czech: opatrný — wary, careful, shrewd
- Czech: zdrženlivý — wary, careful, shrewd
- Dutch: terughoudend — wary, careful, shrewd
- Finnish: ovela — wary, careful, shrewd
- German: zurückhaltend — wary, careful, shrewd
- Polish: ostrożny — wary, careful, shrewd
- Polish: nieufny — wary, careful, shrewd
- Polish: podejrzliwy — wary, careful, shrewd
- Polish: wymijający — wary, careful, shrewd
- Bulgarian: необщителен (neobštitelen) — uncommunicative
- Chinese Mandarin: 有戒心的 — uncommunicative
- Czech: tajnůstkářský — uncommunicative
- Dutch: zwijgzaam — uncommunicative
- Dutch: gesloten — uncommunicative
- Finnish: varautunut — uncommunicative
- German: schweigsam — uncommunicative
- Māori: whakatōngā — uncommunicative
- Polish: małomówny — uncommunicative
- Polish: niekomunikatywny — uncommunicative
- Polish: nierozmowny — uncommunicative