EN

Synonyms for wile

  • noun

Most common

cunning guile allurement beguilement

All synonyms

Noun

1. Cunning

cunning, guile, craft, trick, dodge, chicane, deceit, trickery, deception, art, shift, ruse, stratagem, fetch, finesse, design, contrivance, intrigue, artifice, device, plot, fraud

Other

allurement, beguilement

Definitions

  1. n. 1

    A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice

    He was seduced by her wiles.

Forms

Plural
wiles → cunnings, guiles, crafts, tricks…

Choose the right word

or Wile?

A wile is usually but not necessarily evil. E'en children followed with endearing wile.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • cunning Tuaregs have a reputation for bravery and cunning.
  • guile I refuse to be taken in by her guile.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
wilesteady
cunningrising
guilerising
allurementsteady
beguilementrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
art1
4 letters
plot1, ruse1
5 letters
shift1, trick1, fraud1, craft1, dodge1, fetch1, guile1
6 letters
design2, device2, deceit2
7 letters
cunning2, finesse2, chicane
8 letters
intrigue2, trickery3, artifice3
9 letters
deception3, stratagem3
10 letters
allurement
11 letters
contrivance3, beguilement

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (design2 = 2 syllables).