artful
Americanadjective
-
slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky.
artful schemes.
-
skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious.
an artful choice of metaphors and similes.
-
done with or characterized by art or skill.
artful acting; artful repairs.
-
Archaic. artificial.
adjective
-
cunning or tricky
-
skilful in achieving a desired end
-
archaic characterized by skill or art
-
archaic artificial
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of artful
Explanation
To be artful is to do something skillfully, especially in a cunning way. A con man must be artful. To be an artist requires skill and talent: it's not easy to make art. Similarly, doing something in an artful way takes skill. A chess player is artful in escaping an opponent's attack. A politician is artful in appealing to different groups of people. This word also indicates that the skill shown is a little cunning or sneaky. In movies, villains are often artful, as they tell lies or hatch schemes. Often, artful is the opposite of straightforward.
Vocabulary lists containing artful
Bronx Masquerade
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!
Pro Tips: Synonyms for "Skilled"
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!
Siddhartha
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.
Videos generated by Pratt’s own campaign are less artful.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Steele draws out June’s search and the mother-and-child reunion at a pace that is both realistic and artful.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Wouldn’t it be like this subtly sly author if the announcement turned out to be a narrative conceit—one last artful trick to cheat the end from arriving?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
In recent years, India has been promoting the ancient practice of yoga by holding an annual global yoga day and artful graffiti of yoga poses have been painted across cities, including in the capital Delhi.
From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026
But Mrs. Richardson managed to learn, through some artful questioning, that the address on file for Mia Wright had been a local one, with no parents listed.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
