Devious

adjective/ˈdiː.vi.əs/character

Definition

Skillfully deceitful and underhanded.

Etymology

1590s, "out of the common or direct way," from Latin devius (“out of the way, remote, off the main road”), from de via, from de (“off”) (see de-) + via (“way, road”). Compare deviate. Originally in the Latin literal sense; the figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1630s. Related to deviously, deviousness. Figurative senses of the Latin word were "retired, sequestered, wandering in the byways, foolish, inconsistent."

Synonyms

oblique, circuitous, shifty, indirect, roundabout

In a sentence

A devious clause buried deep in the contract.