ARTFUL Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'artful' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of artful are crafty , cunning , foxy , slick , sly , tricky , and wily . While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness. // elicited the information by artful questioning

Q: When might 'crafty' be a better fit than 'artful'?

The meanings of crafty and artful largely overlap; however, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method. // a crafty lefthander

Q: When could 'cunning' be used to replace 'artful'?

Although the words cunning and artful have much in common, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing. // the cunning fox avoided the trap

Q: Where would 'foxy' be a reasonable alternative to 'artful'?

The words foxy and artful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing. // a foxy publicity man planting stories

Q: In what contexts can 'slick' take the place of 'artful'?

The words slick and artful can be used in similar contexts, but slick emphasizes smoothness and guile. // slick operators selling time-sharing

Q: When would 'sly' be a good substitute for 'artful'?

In some situations, the words sly and artful are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods. // a sly corporate raider

Q: When is it sensible to use 'tricky' instead of 'artful'?

While in some cases nearly identical to artful , tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering. // a tricky political operative

Q: When can 'wily' be used instead of 'artful'?

While the synonyms wily and artful are close in meaning, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering. // the wily fugitive escaped the posse

artful

adjective

ˈärt-fəl

Definition of artful

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inventive

showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing that kitchen gadget is an artful tool for extracting cherry pits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in virtuoso

accomplished with trained ability that was an artful way to handle a very delicate situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word artful distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of artful are crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When might crafty be a better fit than artful?

The meanings of crafty and artful largely overlap; however, crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When could cunning be used to replace artful?

Although the words cunning and artful have much in common, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

Where would foxy be a reasonable alternative to artful?

The words foxy and artful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

In what contexts can slick take the place of artful?

The words slick and artful can be used in similar contexts, but slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When would sly be a good substitute for artful?

In some situations, the words sly and artful are roughly equivalent. However, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

When is it sensible to use tricky instead of artful?

While in some cases nearly identical to artful, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When can wily be used instead of artful?

While the synonyms wily and artful are close in meaning, wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of artful Within it there are offices, factories, warehouses, photography studios, design departments, ateliers, a logistics center, showrooms complete with artful storefronts—all designed to fulfill desires at lightning speed. — Gaby Wood, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026 But where the latter was built for unbridled performance, the the Destrier makes a number of trade-offs in favor of a more artful appearance from every angle. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 Add Soft Lighting Adding subtle lighting above the cabinets can transform this awkward space in a surprisingly artful way. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 11 Aug. 2026 The spacious restaurant with high, coffered ceilings features a central bar where mixologists churn out artful cocktails. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for artful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for artful

Adjective

Supporters of the administration view this back and forth as a cunning ploy to buy time for the United States to position itself more advantageously for a confrontation.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Owen is bamboozled by a cunning opportunist, handcuffed, and robbed in his underwear.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

The pies range from classic to super inventive, like the fan favorite Phoenix pizza made with spicy sopresatta, red peppers and hot honey.

— USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Those scares are best exemplified by the film’s most inventive setpiece, where Gemma gets lost in an endless pillow fort filled with baddies around every corner.

— William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of inventive

Adjective

The 2003 recording that appears on 2009’s The Live Anthology box set is eight minutes long, with a virtuoso performance by keyboardist Benmont Tench on the lengthy instrumental bridge.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026
The visual essay below features virtuoso examples of the techniques that designers have used to replicate the ideals of classical dress over the years, including draping, pleating, twisting, and wrapping.

— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 July 2026

Definition of virtuoso

Adjective

But don’t let the cute style fool you—this look is super practical, too.

— Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
Continue down Main Street in Catskill to find tons of the cute shops upstate New York is known for, in particular Stay Forever for gifts, Spike’s for records, and Magpie for used books.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of cute

Adjective

The midfielder is a clever front-foot defender, capable of an early tackle or interception to halt opposition momentum.

— Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Allowing commercial director Joe Pytka to continue that work in a feature film that saw Jordan playing basketball alongside the Looney Tunes characters was a clever extension of the campaign.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of clever

Adjective

Making robots skillful The second stage introduces a latent diffusion model, which gives BeyondMimic its ability to generate and combine movements.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Fortunately, her protégées—her grandnieces and other female students in the village—are skillful artists in their own right.

— Marisol Delarosa, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of skillful

Adjective

Greenspan was renowned for his formidable data-crunching capabilities, sharp reading of market psychology, and subtle, often elusive communication style.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The cabin interiors are built from a lovely blonde wood, which was aesthetically pleasing, if a little creaky at times, while the white linens on the comfortable queen bed were a subtle reminder that this is a luxury accommodation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of subtle

Adjective

That has created a rare opportunity for indie devs who want to develop truly creative and innovative titles, many of which can and will become cornerstone franchises of the future.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
The Class of 2030 also makes history as the first incoming class to experience Dreamscape Learn, an immersive virtual reality learning platform that brings innovative, experiential learning into the classroom.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of innovative

Browse Nearby Words

artery

artful

artfully

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artful. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of artful

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

illustrious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes