Synonyms of artfulness

artfulness

noun

1

as in cunning

skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means

with well-practiced artfulness, he convinced his mother he was sick enough to stay home from school but not sick enough for a visit to the doctor's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• subtlety
• slyness
• subtleness
• deviousness
• guile
• craft
• canniness
• craftiness
• slickness
• sneakiness
• wiliness
• ease
• artifice
• inventiveness
• cunningness
• caginess
• cleverness
• calculation
• ingenuity
• design
• shrewdness
• foxiness
• care
• ingeniousness
• guilefulness
• finesse
• savvy
• sharpness
• duplicity
• facility
• shiftiness
• deceitfulness
• underhandedness

2

as in skill

subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something

building a ship model requires a painstaking artfulness I don't have

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skill
• skillfulness
• art
• cunning
• artistry
• creativity
• ease
• proficiency
• cleverness
• adeptness
• deftness
• masterfulness
• talent
• adroitness
• expertise
• artifice
• finesse
• craft
• experience
• inventiveness
• knack
• dexterity
• aptitude
• ingenuity
• expertness
• knowledge
• flair
• learning
• gift
• handiness
• know-how
• bent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• artlessness
• ineptitude
• ineptness
• awkwardness
• clumsiness
• crudeness
• amateurishness
• rudeness
• inability
• incompetence
• maladroitness
• incapacity
• inefficiency
• inadequacy
• ineffectiveness
• ineffectuality
• inefficacy
• incapability
• klutziness
• ineffectualness
• inadequateness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of artfulness

The term seems to imply a mastery of all the resources of a form, displayed in a surprising context without self-conscious artfulness. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

No need to get bogged down in questions about provenance, artfulness, long-form storytelling, or even metaphors. — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

All of this shone vividly through his work, which shared his joy, artfulness and deep feeling, and most of all privileged human experience and social interaction. — Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Mike Bowman, designer, furniture industry expert, and director of marketing for Harmonia Living, says this trend relies on furnishings to bring artfulness to a space—rather than just functionality. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026

There is a real seriousness to the score — the scheming bad-guy music has the artfulness of Prokofiev, and even the sneaking-around cues have musical integrity and structure. — Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025

All things considered, each of the couple’s selections exudes artfulness — prioritizing top-quality design and materials meant to last a lifetime. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019