artful
Americanadjective
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slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky.
artful schemes.
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skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious.
an artful choice of metaphors and similes.
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done with or characterized by art or skill.
artful acting; artful repairs.
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Archaic. artificial.
adjective
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cunning or tricky
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skilful in achieving a desired end
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archaic characterized by skill or art
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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
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Pro Tips: Synonyms for "Skilled"
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Siddhartha
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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.
An artful fighter is somebody who has deep group intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Oh Yeah?” is an artful, side-eyed smirk at the pleasures and melancholy of stardom, from an artist who has remade rock and R&B for the bi-panic era.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
If you’re down for films that are both terrifying and artful, we have a horror trio: Obsession, Backrooms, and Leviticus.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
Michael Fernandez’s artful and intrepid cinematography was the best I saw all fest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
In a childhood of artful dodging, Louie made more than just mischief.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
