好词典

artful

UK //ˈɑːtf(ə)l//US //ˈɑːrtf(ə)l//

词源

源自中古英语,由 'art'(艺术)和 '-ful'(充满…的)组成,最初指'有艺术技巧的',后引申为'狡猾的'。

adjective

❶ 形容人聪明机智,善于用巧妙或狡猾的方式达到目的,常带有欺骗或操纵的意味。

“He gave an artful reply that avoided answering the question directly.”

(他给出了一个巧妙的回答,避开了直接回答问题。)

“The artful salesman convinced me to buy the more expensive model.”

(那个狡猾的销售员说服我买了更贵的型号。)

❶ 形容事物设计精巧、有创意或富有艺术性,通常带有赞赏的意味。

“The artful arrangement of flowers impressed everyone at the party.”

(花朵的精巧布置让派对上的每个人都印象深刻。)

“Her artful use of colors made the painting stand out.”

(她对色彩的巧妙运用使这幅画脱颖而出。)

同义词:cunning, crafty, sly, ingenious, skillful

常见短语

artful dodger — 指一个狡猾或善于逃避责任的人,源自狄更斯小说《雾都孤儿》中的角色。

“He's such an artful dodger, always finding ways to skip work.”

(他是个十足的滑头,总能找到办法逃避工作。)