artful

English

Alternative forms

• artfull (obsolete)

Etymology

art +‎ -ful

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɑːɹt.fʊl/

Adjective

artful (comparative more artful, superlative most artful)

1. Performed with, or characterized by, art or skill.
2. Artificial; imitative.
3. Using or exhibiting much art, skill, or contrivance; dexterous; skillful.
4. Cunning; disposed to cunning indirectness of dealing; crafty; as, an artful boy. [The usual sense.]
   • 2012 June 29, Kevin Mitchell, “Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau”, the Guardian:

     Where the Czech upstart Rosol, ranked 100 in the world, all but blew Nadal's head off with his blunderbuss in a fifth set of unrivalled intensity on Thursday night, Benneteau, a more artful citizen, used a rapier to hurt his vaunted foe before falling just short of a kill. In the end, it was he who staggered from the scene of the fight.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:wily

Derived terms

• artfully
• artfulness

Translations

performed with art or skill

• French: artistique (fr)
• Italian: abile (it)

• Spanish: diestro (es), ingenioso (es)

artificial, imitative

• French: artificiel (fr)

• Italian: artificioso (it)

dexterous, skillful

• Italian: abile (it)

cunning, crafty

• French: artificieux (fr)
• Italian: astuto (it)

• Scottish Gaelic: seòlta (gd)
• Spanish: astuto (es), taimado (es), ladino (es), artero (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: сръчен (bg) (srǎčen), ловък (bg) (lovǎk), изкусен (bg) (izkusen)