wile
[ wahyl ]
/ waɪl /
noun
a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice; device.
wiles, artful or beguiling behavior.
deceitful cunning; trickery.
verb (used with object), wiled, wil·ing.
to beguile, entice, or lure (usually followed by away, from, into, etc.): The music wiled him from his study.
Verb Phrases
wile away, to spend or pass (time), especially in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion: to wile away the long winter nights.
QUIZZES
DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?
"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
Origin of wile
1125–75; (noun) Middle English; late Old English wil, perhaps < Old Norse vēl artifice, earlier *wihl-
SYNONYMS FOR wile
3 chicanery, fraud.
OTHER WORDS FROM wile
out·wile, verb (used with object), out·wiled, out·wil·ing.WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wile
while wileWords nearby wile
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for wiles
British Dictionary definitions for wiles
wile
/ (waɪl) /
noun
trickery, cunning, or craftiness
(usually plural) an artful or seductive trick or ploy
verb
(tr) to lure, beguile, or entice
Word Origin for wile
C12: from Old Norse vel craft; probably related to Old French wīle, Old English wīgle magic. See guile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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