guile

[ gahyl ]

/ gaɪl /

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noun

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

Nearby words

guildhall, guilds, guildship, guildsman, guildswoman, guile, guileful, guileless, guilford, guilin, guillain-barré syndrome

Origin of guile

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

SYNONYMS FOR guile

trickery, fraud, craft.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR guile ON THESAURUS.COM

Synonym study

See duplicity.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for guile

But to say nothing of the innovative frame structure, what stands out here is the guile and agency of the female characters.
This Week’s Hot Reads: June 3, 2013|Nicholas Mancusi, Jimmy So|June 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"If that is the case, hats off to him for guile and deviousness," says Yossi Verter in Haaretz.
Millions Of Israelis Missing Voting Cards|Matthew Kalman|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They never refuse when you ask them up, and they are full of guile.
Peck's Sunshine|George W. Peck
And, taking my brush, I added a touch here and a touch there till there came into that face of sorrows a look of craft and guile.
Ghetto Comedies|Israel Zangwill

But for her, she said that wise men would think that this was not done by guile.
The Story of Grettir The Strong|Translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris
The cardinal's smile had changed from one of benignity to one of guile.
The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series|Rafael Sabatini
A real expert in cozening, a master of guile, was wanted to exploit the opportunity to its limit.
She Stands Accused|Victor MacClure

British Dictionary definitions for guile

guile

/ (ɡaɪl) /

noun

clever or crafty character or behaviour

Derived Forms

guileful, adjectiveguilefully, adverbguilefulness, noun

Word Origin for guile

C18: from Old French guile, of Germanic origin; see wile

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

guile

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of guile

SYNONYMS FOR guile

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for guile

British Dictionary definitions for guile

guile

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for guile