Being workshy, lied cunningly (4)
I believe the answer is:
idle
'being workshy' is the definition.
('idle' can be similar in meaning to 'workshy')
'lied cunningly' is the wordplay.
'cunningly' indicates an anagram.
'lied' anagrammed gives 'IDLE'.
(Other definitions for idle that I've seen before include "Maybe Eric" , "Tick over like engine" , "no longer employed?" , "Ineffectual" , "Dormant" .)