Artful
adj ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Characterized by, or performed with, cleverness or contrivance; clever, ingenious.
"The nights ſtrange proſpects, made to feede the eyes; / With Artfull fyres, mounted in the skies: / Graced with horred claps of ſulphury thunders; / May make your mind, Iehouahs greater wonders."
- 2 Not naturally produced; artificial; imitative.
"Some of this Artfull coulour now I want, / VVhich from the Muſes I deſire to borrow, / In Melancholly Priam to diſpaint / The perfect Image and true face of Sorrow, […]"
- 3 Exhibiting or using much art or skill; dexterous; skilful.
"[W]e, in changed ſhapes, act Ovid's tales, / […] / Then vvill I haue thee in more moderne formes, / Attired like ſome ſprightly dame of France, / Braue Tuſcan lady, or proud Spaniſh beauty; / Sometimes, vnto the Perſian Sophies vvife; / Or the grand-Signiors miſtreſſe; and, for change, / To one of our moſt art-full courtizans, […]"
- 4 Skilful at using dishonest or unfair means to achieve a purpose; crafty, cunning. especially
"Here, again, were shadows on the window-blind of guests assembling; and there a group of handsome girls, all hooded and fur-booted, and all chattering at once, tripped lightly off to some near neighbour's house; where, wo upon the single man who saw them enter—artful witches: well they knew it—in a glow!"
- 5 Knowledgeable about the liberal arts; learned, wise. obsolete
- 1 marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft wordnet
- 2 not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness wordnet
Example
More examples"During the summer Chloe had many suitors, who came to Dryas and begged his daughter in marriage. Some brought presents to add weight to their suit, and some made great promises. Nape was elated and advised her husband to marry off Chloe immediately, and not to keep a girl of her age any longer at home, observing that some artful shepherd might entice her whilst she was tending her flocks, and that the best course was to secure a good match for her."
Etymology
From art (“skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation”) + -ful (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, with the sense of being full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing the quality expressed by the noun).
Related phrases
More for "artful"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.