shifty
/ˈʃɪfti/adjective
shifty is spelled S-H-I-F-T-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, shifty means “Subject to frequent changes in direction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shifty?
| Letters | 6: S-H-I-F-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is shifty?
Shifty appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shifty?
- /ˈʃɪfti/
Shifty has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-shifty.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of shifty
- shiftier comparative
- shiftiest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shifty mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Subject to frequent changes in direction.
- 2
Moving from one object to another; not looking directly and steadily at the person with whom one is speaking.
- 3
informalHaving the appearance of being dishonest, criminal, or unreliable.
He was a shifty character in a seedy bar, and I checked my wallet was still there after talking to him.
- 4
Resourceful; full of, or ready with, shifts or expedients.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shifty in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Having the appearance of someone dishonest, criminal or unreliable:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | louche, fuyant |
| Spanish | despiadado, astuto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shifty come from?
From shift + -y. Cognate with Dutch schiftig (“loose-fitting, open-textured”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).