artful

adjective

art·​ful ˈärt-fəl How to pronounce artful (audio)
1
: performed with or showing art or skill
an artful performance on the violin
2
a
: using or characterized by art and skill : dexterous
an artful prose stylist
b
: adroit in attaining an end usually by insinuating or indirect means : wily
an artful cross-examiner
3
: artificial
trim walks and artful bowersWilliam Wordsworth
artfully adverb
artfulness noun

Did you know?

A writer may produce an artful piece of prose, one that's clearly and elegantly written. The same writer might also make an artful argument, one that cleverly leaves out certain details and plays up others so as to make a stronger case. In the first instance, the prose is well crafted; in the second, the argument might instead be called crafty. But even though both uses are correct, most of us still use artful somewhat differently from artistic.

Choose the Right Synonym for artful

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of artful in a Sentence

the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying that kitchen gadget is an artful tool for extracting cherry pits
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
McLaren and her team work on residential and commercial projects nationwide, incorporating an artful blend of styles and plenty of surprising details, from bold wall conversing to unexpected color palettes. Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025 Compact yet artful, this statement piece seamlessly translates the suede trend into night-out and cocktail-ready territory. Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025 Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents. Jane Ciabattari september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025 Indienne offers four seven-course tasting menus (non-vegetarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan), allowing guests of all preferences to experience Sarkar’s artful reintepretions of tradional Indian cuisine marrying unexpected ingredients with European cooking techniques. Katie Chang, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for artful

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of artful was in 1583

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Cite this Entry

“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artful. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

artful

adjective
art·​ful ˈärt-fəl How to pronounce artful (audio)
1
: done with or showing art or skill
2
: clever at taking advantage
artfully adverb
artfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on artful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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