Clever trickery or deceit used to cheat or outsmart someone.
From Old French 'guile' meaning 'deceit or treachery', possibly from Germanic roots. The word has maintained its negative connotation throughout English history, referring to cunning dishonesty.
Guile is sneaky intelligence—it's what the clever fox in fables uses, combining brains with deception to survive, which is why 'guileful' people seem smart but untrustworthy.
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