Guile

/ɡaɪl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

Sly or cunning intelligence; the quality of being deceitful and cunning.

The con artist relied on his guile to swindle unsuspecting victims.

A clever or cunning trick; deception.

Her guile was evident when she skillfully manipulated the situation to her advantage.

Deceptive cunning; skill in achieving goals through deceit.

Despite his apparent honesty, there was a sense of guile in his demeanor.

Middle English 'guile' from Old French 'eguil', which means 'deceit' or 'trick'.

to have guile

To possess clever and deceitful cunning.

guileless

Without deceit or cunning; innocent and naive.

artful guile

Skillful use of cunning to achieve one's aims.

cunning

Having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.

deceit

The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

To pull a fast one

He pulled a fast one on the new guy at work, using guile to hide his true intentions.

To play the game

In business, you often have to play the game and use a little guile to get ahead.