tricky

Everyday

1. Tricky means difficult and needing care or skill («a tricky question»). tree →
2. A tricky person is clever at tricking or deceiving others. tree →

In the lessons

In school tricky questions and «tricky words» (words that cannot easily be sounded out, like «said» and «the») need extra care. In everyday life and safety, «tricky people» are adults or strangers who try to trick children into going with them or keeping secrets; pupils learn to say no, get away and tell. Phrases: «tricky words», «a tricky situation», «tricky people».

Examples

• This maths problem is tricky; read it carefully. tree →
• «Said» is a tricky word to spell. tree →
• Parking in that narrow street is tricky. tree →
• Watch out for tricky people who ask for help finding a puppy. tree →
• The final level of the game is really tricky. tree →
• It was a tricky situation, so I asked my teacher. tree →
• The fox in the story is very tricky. tree →
• Knots can be tricky to undo. tree →
• Now, though the jackal was dead, he had left two sons behind him, every whit as cunning and tricky as their father. tree →

Note

Comparative «trickier», superlative «trickiest». From «trick». Safety: a grown-up who asks a child to keep a secret from parents is a «tricky person»; tell a trusted adult.