guile

[gahyl] / gaɪl /

NOUN

slyness, cleverness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

trickery

STRONG

artfulness artifice chicanery craft craftiness cunning deceit deception dishonesty dissimulation duplicity jive ruse sellout treachery trickiness wiliness

WEAK

dirty dealing dirty pool dirty trick dirty work dissemblance double-cross foul play runaround sharp practice stab in the back

Antonyms

STRONG

forthrightness frankness honesty honor openness sincerity trustworthiness truth truthfulness uprightness

WEAK

artlessness naïveté

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But unlike other aging vets who stay afloat with guile and experience, Rose has blended the wisdom of years with a full-on embrace of younger methods, retooling everything from his swing to his fitness routines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Howe's side have often lacked the guile to find a way through a low block, which then feeds into their main issue on the road - a lack of goals.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Harmer outdid the Indian spinners in their own den with his guile and turn.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

Rayan Cherki adds subtlety in midfield, while Phil Foden is back to his best and Bernardo Silva still has all the old guile to keep City moving with his prompting.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Aphrodite was about subtlety and guile and charm.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Vocabulary lists containing guile

The Crucible

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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts

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Grade 11, List 2

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