artful Hear it!

artful definition

art·ful (ärt′fəl)

adjective

  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

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

artful Synonyms

artful

modif.

  1. Crafty

    shrewd, cunning, wily; see intelligent 1, sly 1.

  2. Skillful

    clever, adroit, ingenious; see able 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

artful Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • dodger: He was also the artful dodger in the film version of Twist.

Modifying Another Word

  • very: Prescott has been very artful about the basis on which he has bypassed the planning regulations.
artful usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

artful quotes

No pleasing Intricacies intervene, No artful wildness to perplex the scene; Grove nods at grove, each a mirror of the other. The suff'ring eye inverted Nature sees, Trees cut to Statues, Statues thick as trees, With here a Fountain, never to be play'd, And there a Summer-house, that knows no shade; Here Amphitrite sails thro'myrtle bow'rs There Gladiators fight, or die, in flow'rs Un-water'd see the drooping sea-horse mourn, And swallows roost in Nilus'dusty Urn.

-Pope, Alexander

artful quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"artful." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/artful>

APA Style

artful. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/artful

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