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

Other Word Forms

• artfully adverb
• artfulness noun
• unartful adjective
• unartfully adverb
• unartfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of artful¹

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

Example Sentences

Neutral colors, luxurious fabrics, artful but unadorned effects.

From Los Angeles Times

To go back to that is to ask, how can we make everyday things artful again?

From Los Angeles Times

This artful carnage felt even more disturbing because of its familiar trappings; standing on the Maginot set looked and felt as if we were aboard the Nostromo.

From Salon

Lyonne isn’t riding a “new wave,” she’s surfing a tsunami, and she’s too high up to notice all of the little people whose careers are in jeopardy for the sake of cheaper, less artful filmmaking.

From Salon

The whole point of the show is I wanted to make something that was hopefully artful and well done but also propulsive, and you don’t want to frustrate people.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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