artful

[ahrt-fuh l]

See more synonyms for artful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

Origin of artful

First recorded in 1605–15; art¹ + -ful

Related formsart·ful·ly, adverbart·ful·ness, nounun·art·ful, adjectiveun·art·ful·ly, adverbun·art·ful·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for artfully

Contemporary Examples

He artfully steps back from a social setting and criticizes it without—I suspect—without letting himself be vulnerable to it.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview
Alex Belth
February 16, 2014
It artfully preserves timeless questions about the nature of love, too.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 26, 2012
Mythili Rao
November 26, 2012
Still, the slow, artfully mundane burn is right for the town of Lofte, a forgotten satellite deep in the American wasteland.
3 Must-Read Offbeat Novels: ‘A Million Heavens,’ ‘The Investigation,’ ‘Office Girl’
Drew Toal, Kevin Canfield, Daniel Roberts
July 6, 2012
Or we simply learn how to artfully rebuff advances by subtly threatening to blow the whistle on despicable and degrading behavior.
Hounded by Harassment
Lauren Ashburn
November 4, 2011
Bags of pasta, bowls of lemons, and five-gallon drums of organic olive oil are artfully laid out to entice diners.
Bon Jovi Rocks Hunger
Laura Colarusso
October 24, 2011

Historical Examples

"The best proof is the fact itself," replied Heffernan, artfully.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)
Charles James Lever
This is why you artfully concealed her name from me until you had won my promise!
Hidden Hand
Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth
I can see that he is artfully intriguing for Mr. Wharton's favor, but I must checkmate him.
The Cash Boy
Horatio Alger Jr.
“It can be a surprise for Aunt Polly,” suggested Meg artfully.
Four Little Blossoms at Brookside Farm
Mabel C. Hawley
Or, at least, I would have artfully dissembled my real sentiments.
The Autobiography of Madame Guyon
Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon

British Dictionary definitions for artfully

artful

adjective

cunning or tricky
skilful in achieving a desired end
archaic characterized by skill or art
archaic artificial

Derived Formsartfully, adverbartfulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for artfully

artful

adj.

1610s, "learned, well-versed in the (liberal) arts," also "characterized by technical skill," from art (n.) + -ful. Meaning "skilled in adapting means to ends" is from 1739. Related: Artfully; artfulness.

artful

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Related Words

Examples from the Web for artfully

Contemporary Examples

He artfully steps back from a social setting and criticizes it without—I suspect—without letting himself be vulnerable to it.

It artfully preserves timeless questions about the nature of love, too.

Still, the slow, artfully mundane burn is right for the town of Lofte, a forgotten satellite deep in the American wasteland.

Or we simply learn how to artfully rebuff advances by subtly threatening to blow the whistle on despicable and degrading behavior.

Bags of pasta, bowls of lemons, and five-gallon drums of organic olive oil are artfully laid out to entice diners.

Historical Examples

"The best proof is the fact itself," replied Heffernan, artfully.

This is why you artfully concealed her name from me until you had won my promise!

I can see that he is artfully intriguing for Mr. Wharton's favor, but I must checkmate him.

“It can be a surprise for Aunt Polly,” suggested Meg artfully.

Or, at least, I would have artfully dissembled my real sentiments.

artful

Word Origin and History for artfully

artful

adj.

Origin of artful