Artful (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The company's artful use of social media helped them to reach a wider audience and increase their sales.
- He is an artful politician who knows just what to say to get elected.
- The merchant's artful display of her wares made them look more valuable than they were.
- The chef's artful presentation of the dish made it look almost too good to eat.
- With his artful flattery, he was able to talk his way into a job interview.
Antonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The politician's artful speech was carefully crafted to deceive the public about his true intentions.
- Her artful response to the question about her involvement in the scandal was intentionally vague and misleading.
- The company's artful financial reports hid the true extent of their losses from investors.
- With an artful smile, the car salesman downplayed the vehicle's known defects to make a sale.
- The manager's artful explanation for the project's delays was really just a thinly veiled attempt to avoid blame.