artful

[ ahrt-fuhl ]

adjective

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 by art or skill:

   artful acting; artful repairs.

4. Archaic. artificial.

artful

/ ˈɑːtfʊl /

adjective

1. cunning or tricky
2. skilful in achieving a desired end
3. archaic.
   characterized by skill or art
4. archaic.
   artificial

Derived Forms

• ˈartfully, adverb
• ˈartfulness, noun

Other Words From

• artful·ly adverb
• artful·ness noun
• un·artful adjective
• un·artful·ly adverb
• un·artful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of artful¹

First recorded in 1605–15; art ¹ + -ful

Example Sentences

Incessantly, swooping seabirds and crows crowd the sky, following Bailey everywhere, drawing her adoring consideration as subjects of artful phone videos.

From Los Angeles Times

Martha Stewart doesn't do warts, but Cutler edits a wry irony into the artful coverage she dabs on her blemishes, like her refusal to count her marital infidelity as equivalent to that of her husband.

From Salon

The artful feature of the work is instead embedded in the installation’s composition.

From Los Angeles Times

Balancing the information download and the levity are artful animations and reading of the Framers’ words debating the intricacies of devising how states’ electors would be designated.

From Salon

The costume design really blends with the production design, it’s so artful.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adroit
• ingenious
• masterly
• shrewd
• slick
• sly