Word
wile
US/ˈwaɪɫ/
UK/wˈaɪl/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a clever trick you use to fool someone and get what you want.
n. a cunning stratagem or deceitful trick employed to mislead or gain advantage.
Examples
“He uses every wile to win the game.”
“The salesman uses all his wiles to persuade elderly customers to sign expensive contracts.”
“Despite her opponent's rhetorical wiles, the debater held her ground, exposing each misleading argument with calm precision.”
Examples
simple
“He uses every wile to win the game.”
contextual
“The salesman uses all his wiles to persuade elderly customers to sign expensive contracts.”
complex
“Despite her opponent's rhetorical wiles, the debater held her ground, exposing each misleading argument with calm precision.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wile” in context.
Verb
01. deploy wile
“The negotiator deployed wile to secure a better settlement.”
verb + noun
02. employ wile
“The con artist employed wile to gain the widow's trust.”
verb + noun
03. fall for wile
“The committee fell for his wile and approved the funding.”
verb + prep + noun
04. resort to wile
“When charm failed, he resorted to wile to win the election.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
05. beguiling wile
“He fell for her beguiling wile and signed the contract.”
adj + noun
06. cunning wile
“The spy gained entry through one cunning wile after another.”
adj + noun
07. feminine wile
“She used every feminine wile to charm the selection committee.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. master of wile
“Odysseus is portrayed as a master of wile in epic poetry.”
noun + prep + noun
09. a master of wiles
“She proved herself a master of wiles in diplomacy.”
10. fall for her wiles
“He fell for her wiles and handed over his fortune.”
11. resort to feminine wiles
“She resorted to feminine wiles to gain access to the club.”
12. see through his wiles
“The detective saw through his wiles within minutes.”
Usage
Often appears in the plural 'wiles' to describe sustained or repeated cunning.
Etymology
From Middle English wile, wyle, from Old Northern French wile (“guile”) and Old English wīl (“wile, trick”) and wiġle (“divination”), from Proto-Germanic wīlą (“craft, deceit”) (from Proto-Indo-European wey- (“to turn, bend”)) and Proto-Germanic wigulą, wihulą (“prophecy”) (from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to consecrate, hallow, make holy”)). Cognate with Icelandic vél, væl (“artifice, craft, device, fraud, trick”), Dutch wijle. Doublet of guile.
The phrase meaning to pass time idly is while away. We can trace the meaning in an adjectival sense for while back to Old English, hwīlen, "passing, transitory". It is also seen in whilend, "temporary, transitory". But since wile away occurs so often, it is now included in many dictionaries.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/wile