Crossword Genius

He, lacking guile, is callous (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

heartless

'is callous' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'he lacking guile' is the wordplay.
'lacking guile' becomes 'artless' (I've seen this in another clue).
'he'+'artless'='HEARTLESS'

(Other definitions for heartless that I've seen before include "Without pity or feeling, being defective in cardiac way" , "Uncaring" , "Callous" , "with no concern for others?" , "insensitive" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.