Artful

Artful
Artful Art"ful, a. [From {Art}.] 1. Performed with, or characterized by, art or skill. [Archaic] ``Artful strains.'' ``Artful terms.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. Artificial; imitative. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

3. Using or exhibiting much art, skill, or contrivance; dexterous; skillful. [1913 Webster]

He [was] too artful a writer to set down events in exact historical order. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

4. Cunning; disposed to cunning indirectness of dealing; crafty; as, an artful boy. [The usual sense.] [1913 Webster]

Artful in speech, in action, and in mind. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

The artful revenge of various animals. --Darwin. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Cunning; skillful; adroit; dexterous; crafty; tricky; deceitful; designing. See {Cunning}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • artful — [ärt′fəl] adj. 1. skillful or clever, esp. in achieving a purpose 2. sly or cunning; crafty [an artful swindle] 3. done with, using, or showing much art or skill 4. artificial; imitative artfully adv. artfulness n …   English World dictionary

  • artful — I adjective able, acute, adept, adroit, apt, artistic, astute, astutus, aware, calculating, callidus, canny, capable, characterized by art, clever, contriving, crafty, cunning, deft, devious, dexterous, done with skill, experienced, facile,… …   Law dictionary

  • artful — (adj.) 1610s, learned, well versed in the (liberal) arts, also characterized by technical skill, from ART (Cf. art) (n.) + FUL (Cf. ful). Meaning skilled in adapting means to ends is from 1739. Related: Artfully; artfulness …   Etymology dictionary

  • artful — wily, guileful, crafty, cunning, tricky, *sly, foxy, insidious Analogous words: adroit, *dexterous: politic, diplomatic, smooth, *suave Antonyms: artless Contrasted words: simple, *natural, ingenuous, unsophisticated, naive: candid, open, * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • artful — [adj] skillful; cunning adept, adroit, clever, crafty, designing, dexterous, foxy*, ingenious, masterly, politic, proficient, resourceful, scheming, sharp, shrewd, slick*, sly, smart, smooth*, tricky, wily; concepts 404,528 Ant. artless,… …   New thesaurus

  • artful — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ cunningly clever. DERIVATIVES artfully adverb artfulness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • artful — [[t]ɑ͟ː(r)tfʊl[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe someone as artful, you mean that they are clever and skilful at achieving what they want, especially by deceiving people. ...the smiles and artifices of a subtle artful woman... Some… …   English dictionary

  • artful — adjective Date: 1609 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 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • artful — artfully, adv. artfulness, n. /ahrt feuhl/, adj. 1. slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky: artful schemes. 2. skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious: an artful choice of metaphors and similes. 3. done with or characterized… …   Universalium

  • artful — art|ful [ˈa:tfəl US ˈa:rt ] adj 1.) clever at deceiving people = ↑cunning ▪ artful tricks 2.) designed or done in a clever and attractive way ▪ artful photographs >artfully adj ▪ artfully concealed pockets >artfulness n …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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