wile

[ wahyl ]
/ waɪl /

noun

a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice; device.
wiles, artful or beguiling behavior.
deceitful cunning; trickery.

verb (used with object), wiled, wil·ing.

to beguile, entice, or lure (usually followed by away, from, into, etc.): The music wiled him from his study.

Verb Phrases

wile away, to spend or pass (time), especially in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion: to wile away the long winter nights.

Origin of wile

1125–75; (noun) Middle English; late Old English wil, perhaps < Old Norse vēl artifice, earlier *wihl-

SYNONYMS FOR wile

1, 2 deception, contrivance, maneuver. See trick.
3 chicanery, fraud.

OTHER WORDS FROM wile

out·wile, verb (used with object), out·wiled, out·wil·ing.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wile

while wile

Words nearby wile

wildland, wildlands, wildlife, wildling, wildwood, wile, wilfred, wilfrid, wilful, wilga, wilhelm

British Dictionary definitions for outwile

wile
/ (waɪl) /

noun

trickery, cunning, or craftiness
(usually plural) an artful or seductive trick or ploy

verb

(tr) to lure, beguile, or entice

Word Origin for wile

C12: from Old Norse vel craft; probably related to Old French wīle, Old English wīgle magic. See guile