guileful

[gahyl-fuhl]

adjective

1. insidiously cunning; artfully deceptive; wily.

Other Word Forms

• guilefully adverb
• guilefulness noun
• unguileful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of guileful¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; guile, -ful

Example Sentences

In fact her quote was more guileful than that—and all the more revealing for it.

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A subtle but inescapable analogy is made between the wily devil and the guileful woman.

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The game still features plenty of lung-burning rallies, but there is much more action now in the front of the court — more drop shots and guileful flicks.

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Equally enjoyable is the pleasure, borrowed from John le Carré, of watching the games of vastly intelligent and dead-hearted men as they play with the lives of the less guileful.

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Creepy Santa never gets his ultimate comeuppance, guileful Snow White never finds her ideal prince.

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