wile

1 of 2

noun

ˈwī(-ə)l How to pronounce wile (audio)
Synonyms of wilenext
1
: a trick or stratagem intended to ensnare or deceive
also : a beguiling or playful trick
2
: skill in outwitting : trickery, guile

wile

2 of 2

verb

wiled; wiling

transitive verb

1
: to lure by or as if by a magic spell : entice
2
[by alteration] : while

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for wile

trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end.

trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.

the tricks of the trade

ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.

the ruses of smugglers

stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.

the stratagem-filled game

maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.

the clever artifices of the stage

wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

Examples of wile in a Sentence

Noun had to use all of her wiles to convince her guests to stay for dinner it took both wile and cajolery to talk him into it Verb her stories of the Old South could wile anyone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That seems like an awfully optimistic reading of Trump’s strategic wiles. — David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 The crowd is made up of hard-core skiers and riders undeterred by the wiles of nature or the perils of big-mountain skiing. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
Sun worshipers can wile away summer afternoons at one of the public or private beaches that linea long stretch of coastline tucked between two promontories, Capo Nero and Capo Sant’Ampelio. — Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025 Europe generally speaking is on Ukraine’s side, wants a settlement to the war to be as close to Kyiv’s preferences as possible and isn’t wiling to explore a detente with Moscow until the war is over. — Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wile

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wil, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse vēl deceit, artifice

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wile was in the 12th century

Rhymes for wile

See All Rhymes for wile

Browse Nearby Words

wild yellow lily
wile
wilely
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wile. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

wile

1 of 2 noun
ˈwī(ə)l How to pronounce wile (audio)
1
: a trick intended to deceive or trap
2
: skill in tricking
: guile

wile

2 of 2 verb
wiled; wiling
: to lure by or as if by a magic spell

More from Merriam-Webster on wile

Nglish: Translation of wile for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
kestrel
Name That Bird Quiz Are you as wise as an owl or just another birdbrain?
See All