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

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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 Of the millions of men and women who have made their mark here, few were as prolific and artful as Edgar Miller, even though most of you have never heard of him. — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 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 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

This was a very inventive opening sequence, but the crowd sat quietly through most of it.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Before that comes a vast and dramatically static stretch of what speculative-fiction circles often call ‘world-building’— a full, inventive, elaborately detailed portrait of Andersen’s vision of the next 19 years of American history.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 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 renovation took two years, and the sisters are still updating and tweaking the villa with new color schemes and clever offerings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Of course, that always creates opportunities for movies to break through and shine, thanks to clever marketing.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of clever

Adjective

As Musashi scrambles through a school of Samurai, the game seamlessly bounces between skillful swordplay, rowdy improvisation, and Looney Tunes-style levity.

— Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
The English Understand Wool is skillful, funny, and exposes, through twists and turns, the quirks and peculiarities of the privileged, of celebrity, and the publishing world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of skillful

Adjective

That possibility, however subtle, may have helped drive the legal chaos that unfolded in Baton Rouge just 48 hours before LSU was scheduled to take the field.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Birdseye maple recurs as a detail on furniture and banisters, along with subtle copper details and velvet seating.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of subtle

Adjective

This is why counting AI pilots tells us little about whether an organization is becoming more innovative.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Her work brings together fashion, technology and industrial application, with a particular focus on more responsible and innovative approaches to garment finishing.

— Alice Tonello, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of innovative

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artery

artful

artfully

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“Artful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of artful

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