Synonyms of wile

wile 1 of 2

noun

ˈwī(-ə)l 

1

as in ruse

a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end

had to use all of her wiles to convince her guests to stay for dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruse
• trick
• scheme
• device
• stratagem
• knack
• dodge
• jig
• fetch
• sleight of hand
• ploy
• gambit
• play
• bluff
• flimflam
• gimmick
• sleight
• cunning
• deception
• juggle
• artifice
• feint
• trickery
• subterfuge
• end run
• swindling
• cheating
• shenanigan
• duplicity
• skullduggery
• hoax
• jugglery
• swindle
• chicanery
• skulduggery
• legerdemain
• dupery
• fraud
• blind
• cozenage
• front
• fakery
• gaff
• smoke screen
• craft
• sham
• crookery

2

as in deception

the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end

it took both wile and cajolery to talk him into it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deception
• treachery
• trickery
• subterfuge
• cunning
• scheming
• deceptiveness
• skullduggery
• artfulness
• stealth
• jugglery
• secrecy
• chicanery
• skulduggery
• legerdemain
• deceit
• gamesmanship
• plotting
• chicane
• hanky-panky
• shrewdness
• artifice
• jiggery-pokery
• deceitfulness
• slyness
• duplicity
• shiftiness
• wiliness
• slickness
• design
• dissimulation
• dupery
• hypocrisy
• guile
• sneakiness
• slipperiness
• craftiness
• underhandedness
• deviousness
• cageyness
• double-dealing
• dishonesty
• oiliness
• insincerity
• crookedness
• humbuggery
• dirty tricks
• sharpness
• imposture
• dirty pool
• quackery
• fakery
• shadiness
• caginess
• guilefulness
• crookery
• foxiness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sincerity
• ingenuousness
• artlessness
• forthrightness
• guilelessness
• openness
• candor
• directness
• plainness
• candidness
• plainspokenness

wile

2 of 2

verb

as in to fascinate

to attract or delight as if by magic

her stories of the Old South could wile anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fascinate
• charm
• entice
• delight
• seduce
• kill
• lure
• enchant
• please
• interest
• witch
• beguile
• tempt
• captivate
• intrigue
• allure
• draw
• bewitch
• pull
• magnetize
• woo
• gratify
• disarm
• entrance
• appeal (to)
• invite
• arrest
• enthral
• court
• beckon
• enrapture
• enthrall
• solicit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revolt
• repel
• offend
• annoy
• weary
• bore
• disgust
• displease
• irk
• tire

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wile different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of wile are artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, and trick. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

When can artifice be used instead of wile?

The synonyms artifice and wile are sometimes interchangeable, but artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

When would feint be a good substitute for wile?

The words feint and wile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

When is maneuver a more appropriate choice than wile?

The words maneuver and wile can be used in similar contexts, but maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

When could ruse be used to replace wile?

Although the words ruse and wile have much in common, ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

Where would stratagem be a reasonable alternative to wile?

In some situations, the words stratagem and wile are roughly equivalent. However, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

When is it sensible to use trick instead of wile?

While in some cases nearly identical to wile, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wile

Noun

Elizabeth, as if sensing her impending new position in the family, is taking on more and more adult wiles. . . —John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025

The character Satine in the musical is less of a victim of the manager’s demands and chooses to use her feminine wiles to make money for the club, which is her artistic home. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025

Verb

The result is more kids wiling away hours indoors scrolling through addictive apps, leaving much less time for free-play and socializing out of the house, says Zach Rausch, lead researcher to Haidt and an associate research scientist at NYU-Stern School of Business. —Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025

Will Smith stars as a penniless Anthony Ramos lookalike fish named Oscar, who wiles away his days scrubbing cetaceans’ tongues clean in the 'Whale Wash,' fantasizing about the good life. —Them, 23 Dec. 2024