Synonyms

guile

American

[gahyl] / gaɪl /

noun

insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity.

Synonyms:

craft, fraud, trickery

guile British

/ ɡaɪl /

noun

clever or crafty character or behaviour

"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

Related Words

See duplicity.

Other Word Forms

guileful adjective
guilefully adverb
guilefulness noun

Etymology

Origin of guile

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French < Germanic; akin to wile

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.

But unlike other aging vets who stay afloat with guile and experience, Rose has blended the wisdom of years with a full-on embrace of younger methods, retooling everything from his swing to his fitness routines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Howe's side have often lacked the guile to find a way through a low block, which then feeds into their main issue on the road - a lack of goals.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Like Julien Duvivier and François Truffaut before him, Kiarostami captures their innocence and guile with righteous force.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Harmer outdid the Indian spinners in their own den with his guile and turn.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

He had no intention of paying his debts and was confident he could evade prosecution through guile and charm.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023