wile

American  

[wahyl] / waɪl /

noun

1. a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice; device.

   Synonyms:

   maneuver, contrivance, deception

2. wiles, artful or beguiling behavior.

   Synonyms:

   maneuver, contrivance, deception

3. deceitful cunning; trickery.

   Synonyms:

   fraud, chicanery

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verb (used with object)

wiled, wiling

1. to beguile, entice, or lure (usually followed by away, from, into, etc.).

   The music wiled him from his study.

verb phrase

1. wile away to spend or pass (time), especially in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion.

   to wile away the long winter nights.

wile British  

/ waɪl /

noun

1. trickery, cunning, or craftiness

2. (usually plural) an artful or seductive trick or ploy

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verb

1. (tr) to lure, beguile, or entice

Related Words

See trick.

Other Word Forms

• outwile verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of wile

1125–75; (noun) Middle English; late Old English wil, perhaps < Old Norse vēl artifice, earlier *wihl-

Example Sentences

They say you get used to bad smells after a wile.

From Literature

England's scrum creaked, perhaps decisively, when the wisdom and wiles of Cole and Marler departed.

From BBC

My concern is that it’s all too tempting to yield to such wiles in the name of saving time and minimizing effort.

From Scientific American

That it’s probably illegal to own ramekins before age 25, and even when you do have them, you might lose them to divorce or to the uncareful wiles of teenage children.

From New York Times

Here are 10 freshly published ones that should wile away a March afternoon nicely.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• guile
• stratagem