ARTFUL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does artful mean? 

• ARTFUL (adjective)
  The adjective ARTFUL has 2 senses:

1. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness

2. marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft

  Familiarity information: ARTFUL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ARTFUL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness

Synonyms:

artful; disingenuous

Context example:

a disingenuous excuse

Similar:

distorted; misrepresented; perverted; twisted (having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented)

Also:

insincere (lacking sincerity)

Derivation:

artfulness (the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft

Context example:

an artful choice of metaphors

Similar:

crafty; cunning; dodgy; foxy; guileful; knavish; slick; sly; tricksy; tricky; wily (marked by skill in deception)

cute; precious (obviously contrived to charm)

designing; scheming (concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest)

deep (exhibiting great cunning usually with secrecy)

elusive (skillful at eluding capture)

manipulative (skillful in influencing or controlling others to your own advantage)

pawky (cunning and sly)

Also:

adroit (quick or skillful or adept in action or thought)

Antonym:

artless (simple and natural; without cunning or deceit)

Derivation:

artfulness (the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage)

 Context examples 

"Me loves Parpar," said the artful one, preparing to climb the paternal knee and revel in forbidden joys.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

This extremely artful suggestion Mr. Barkis accompanied with a nudge of his elbow that gave me quite a stitch in my side.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But Berks was artful as well as violent.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Lucases are very artful people indeed, sister.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

You shall find me as stubborn as you can be artful.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

You can imagine what an artful man would do; and with this guide, perhaps, may recollect what you have seen him do.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

That is artful and deep, to be sure; but I had rather be told at once that you will not tell me.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I tell you, my fair lord, she was saying, that it is no fit training for a demoiselle: hawks and hounds, rotes and citoles singing a French rondel, or reading the Gestes de Doon de Mayence, as I found her yesternight, pretending sleep, the artful, with the corner of the scroll thrusting forth from under her pillow.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He mentioned it in a very artful manner at council, where I was told that some of the wisest appeared, at least by their silence, to be of my opinion; but others, who were my secret enemies, could not forbear some expressions which, by a side-wind, reflected on me.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Now, uttered before a stranger, the accusation cut me to the heart; I dimly perceived that she was already obliterating hope from the new phase of existence which she destined me to enter; I felt, though I could not have expressed the feeling, that she was sowing aversion and unkindness along my future path; I saw myself transformed under Mr. Brocklehurst's eye into an artful, noxious child, and what could I do to remedy the injury?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)