guile
Americannoun
noun
Related Words
See duplicity.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of guile
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Germanic; akin to wile
Explanation
Use the noun guile for cunning, craftiness, and artful duplicity. Acting like you have a job on Wall Street when you're actually unemployed would take a lot of guile. The noun guile has quite negative connotations, as it refers to the kind of knowledge and skill that can be used by comic book villains for evil and not good! People who have guile are also thought of as being wily (which is also a related word), sneaky, and deceitful. Those who are free of guile are pure and upstanding, and Henry David Thoreau affirms those feelings when he writes: "It is the work of a brave man surely, in whom there was no guile!"
Vocabulary lists containing guile
The Crucible
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 11, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mueller’s husband, actor-filmmaker-personal trainer Guile Branco, says they have fun with the gothic home decor.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2025
Guile and Cammy from @StreetFighter are making their way to the Island.
From The Verge • Aug. 3, 2021
Guile would be the special forces hero, teaming up with street fighters Ken and Ryu to foil the dastardly plan.
From The Guardian • Jul. 16, 2018
The Lightbringer series continues with Gavin Guile captured and enslaved and a civil war on the brink.
From Washington Post
One of them, entitled Afloat, flapped its endpapers, drifted to the ceiling, and refused to move despite Artful Guile trying to tempt it back down with a bookmark.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
