Definition of GUILE

guile

Meanings

Plural: guiles

Noun

  • shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
  • the quality of being crafty
  • the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
  • Astuteness often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception.
  • Deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty.
  • Obsolete form of gold.
  • Alternative form of gyle.

Verb

  • To deceive, beguile, bewile.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English gile, from Anglo-Norman gile, from Old French guile (“deception”), from Frankish *wīl (“ruse”), from Proto-Germanic *wīlą, from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate via Proto-Germanic with wile.

Scrabble Score: 6

guile is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
guile is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
guile is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

guile is a valid Words With Friends word