wile[noun]Synonyms: trick, artifice, device, feint, gambit, gimmick, maneuver, ploy, ruse, stratagem
[verb]Synonyms: attract, allure, bewitch, captivate, charm, draw, enchant, fascinate, magnetize, take, while, beguile, fleet
Contrasted words: candor, frankness, openness, plain dealing, straightforwardness, unconstraint, artlessness, naturalness, sincerity
Related Words: chicane,
chicanery,
trickery,
cunning,
deceit,
dissimulation,
guile [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
wile (wīl)
n.► A stratagem or trick intended to deceive or ensnare.
► A disarming or seductive manner, device, or procedure:
the wiles of a skilled negotiator.► Trickery; cunning.
tr.v. wiled, wil·ing, wiles ► To influence or lead by means of wiles; entice.
► To pass (time) agreeably:
wile away a Sunday afternoon. [TahlilGaran] American Dictionary ▲
wile [Middle English
wil, from Old North French, from Old Norse
vēl,
trick, or
of Low German origin.]
Synonyms: wile, artifice, trick, ruse, feint, stratagem, maneuver, dodge
These nouns denote means for achieving an end by indirection or deviousness. Wile suggests deceiving and entrapping a victim by playing on his or her weak points: “He did not fail to see/His uncle's cunning wiles and treachery” (William Morris). Artifice refers to something especially contrived to create a desired effect: “Should the public forgive artifices used to avoid military service?” (Godfrey Sperling). Trick implies willful deception: “The... boys... had all sorts of tricks to prevent us from winning” (W.H. Hudson). Ruse stresses the creation of a false impression:
Your pretended deafness was a ruse to enable you to learn our plans, wasn't it? Feint denotes a deceptive act calculated to distract attention from one's real purpose:
One person bumped into me as a feint while the other stole my wallet. Stratagem implies carefully planned deception used to achieve an objective:
The manager used ruthless stratagems to win the promotion. Maneuver often applies to a single strategic move: “To this day they always speak of that Reform Bill as if it had been a dishonest maneuver” (The Standard). Dodge stresses shifty and ingenious deception: “‘It was all false, of course?’ ‘All, sir,’ replied Mr. Weller, ‘... artful dodge’” (Charles Dickens). [TahlilGaran] American Dictionary ▲