Dictionary

cagey en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈkeɪd͡ʒi/
• (US) audio

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.

Meanings

1. Wary, careful, shrewd.
   • But with both sides in the Premier League's bottom three before the game began, the three points at stake made for a cagey match. 2011 February 6, Alistair Magowan, “West Ham 0 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:
   • We move like cagey tigers / Oh, we couldn't get closer than this 1983, Robert Smith, “The Lovecats”, performed by The Cure:
   • Samara: I will be in the shadows watching, Shepard. You will never be alone -- this I swear. But you cannot barge in with guns and allies. Samara: Morinth is far too cagey -- she'd simply disappear. This is a subtle, delicate act. Trust me. 2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Omega (Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi):
2. Uncommunicative; unwilling or hesitant to give information.
   • John F Kennedy’s secret talks with Soviet intelligence, surreptitious tape recordings and “girlfriend system” create a new portrait of a cunning and cagey JFK, according to a historian who has researched a treasure trove of recently released recordings and papers of the late president. 2015 October 7, Alan Yuhas, “JFK: declassified documents reveal a cunning and cagey president”, in The Guardian:
   • During a long interview about the startup, Bader and his co-founder Sean Dadashi were cagey about exactly how Ikaria works, as it’s still in development. 2020 February 18, Josh Constine, “Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria”, in TechCrunch, archived from the original on 01 Jun 2020:

Forms

Deriveds

cageyness · caginess · cagily

Synonyms

reticent · shy · evasive

Translations (27)

pl niekomunikatywny (uncommunicative) · de schweigsam (uncommunicative) · cmn 有戒心的 (uncommunicative) · cmn 谨慎的 (wary, careful, shrewd) · pl nieufny (wary, careful, shrewd) · pl nierozmowny (uncommunicative) · cmn 小心的 (wary, careful, shrewd) · pl podejrzliwy (wary, careful, shrewd) · de zurückhaltend (wary, careful, shrewd) · bg предпазлив (wary, careful, shrewd) · bg потаен (wary, careful, shrewd) · bg необщителен (uncommunicative) · cs tajnůstkářský (uncommunicative) · nl gesloten (uncommunicative) · fi ovela (wary, careful, shrewd) · cs opatrný (wary, careful, shrewd) · tr ağzı pek (uncommunicative) · fi varautunut (uncommunicative) · pl ostrożny (wary, careful, shrewd) · nl terughoudend (wary, careful, shrewd) · tr ağzı sıkı (uncommunicative) · nl zwijgzaam (uncommunicative) · tr ketum (uncommunicative) · pl małomówny (uncommunicative) · pl wymijający (wary, careful, shrewd) · mi whakatōngā (uncommunicative) · cs zdrženlivý (wary, careful, shrewd)