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 Or the artful, quiet squiggles of Citizens of Humanity and Rock & Republic? Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 In any case, Denis Villeneuve’s artful sci-fi epic has fared far better than most recent Hollywood tentpoles in China, where local interest in U.S. filmmaking has plummeted in recent years. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 That love supercharges her lyrics with artful inexactitude, the ambiguity making each song feel even bigger than Raisen’s bumptiousness already does. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 On Sundays the Topanga resident sells loaves of heirloom-grain bread and artful pastries, quiches and other baked goods at the Canyon Bakery, her to-go window on the premises of the nearby outdoor theater Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 In the dining room of Capítulo restaurant, which was built as the chapter house for noblemen to assemble and make rulings, original vaulted ceilings and marble columns are complemented by modern glowing globes suspended from the ceiling by artful ribbons. Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 To ensure that these sectoral deals are successful and win widespread support will require artful negotiation and a creative calibration of incentives. Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2024 Perfect for the newly-coupled, skip the queue and brew cortados for two at home with fresh beans from Partner’s, then serve them in artful cups sure to spark a lively conversation. Talia Abbas, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2024 The Met Gala theme often vacillates between straightforward retrospectives (such as the event’s 1996 homage to Christian Dior, and the 1997 theme dedicated to Gianni Versace) and more artful, subjective prompts. Leah Dolan, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'artful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of artful was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near artful

Cite this Entry

“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artful. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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

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