Definitions
- Referring to the ability to achieve a goal through cleverness and deceit. - Describing someone who is sly, crafty, and able to manipulate situations to their advantage. - Talking about someone who is skilled at using trickery or deception to achieve their objectives.
- Referring to the use of clever and deceitful tactics to achieve a goal. - Describing someone who is cunning, sly, and able to manipulate situations to their advantage. - Talking about someone who is skilled at using trickery or deception to achieve their objectives.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe the use of cleverness and deceit to achieve a goal.
- 2Both words suggest a level of skill in manipulating situations to one's advantage.
- 3Both words have negative connotations and are associated with dishonesty and trickery.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Cunningness is more commonly used in British English, while guile is more common in American English.
- 2Connotation: Cunningness suggests a level of intelligence and resourcefulness, while guile has a more negative connotation and implies a lack of honesty and integrity.
- 3Emphasis: Cunningness emphasizes the ability to achieve a goal through cleverness, while guile emphasizes the use of deceitful tactics to achieve a goal.
- 4Formality: Guile is more formal than cunningness and is often used in more serious or literary contexts.
Remember this!
Cunningness and guile are synonyms that describe the use of cleverness and deceit to achieve a goal. While they share similarities in meaning, there are differences in origin, usage, connotation, emphasis, and formality. Cunningness suggests intelligence and resourcefulness, while guile has a more negative connotation and implies a lack of honesty and integrity. Guile is more formal and often used in serious or literary contexts, while cunningness is more commonly used in British English.
