clever Definition
clever (klev′ər)
adjective
- skillful in doing something; adroit; dexterous
- quick in thinking or learning; intelligent, ingenious, quick-witted, witty, facile, etc.
- showing ingenuity or quick, sometimes superficial, intelligence a clever book
- Dialectal
- amiable; good-natured
- handsome, convenient, nice, etc.
Etymology: ME cliver, prob. < EFris klüfer or Norw dial klöver, ready, skillful; ? infl. by OE clifer, claw, hand, in the sense, “adroit with the hand”: for the latter sense development, see adroit, dexterous
clever Related Forms
clever Synonyms
clever
modif.
Mentally quick
smart, bright, intelligent, quick, shrewd, ingenious, cunning, sharp, keen, astute, witty, quick-witted, sharp-witted, quick-thinking, amusing, scintillating, inventive, resourceful, original, talented, gifted, apt, facile, glib, precocious, brainy*, sharp as a tack*, quick on the uptake*, quick on the trigger*; see also intelligent 1, sly 1.Apt, particularly with one's hands
clever, implies quick-wittedness or adroitness, as in contriving the solution to a problem a clever reply; cunning suggests great skill or ingenuity, but often implies deception or craftiness cunning as a fox; ingenious stresses inventive skill, as in origination or fabrication an ingenious device; shrewd suggests cleverness and acumen accompanied by practicality a shrewd judge of character, sometimes verging on craftiness a shrewd politician See also syn. study at intelligent.
Browse dictionary entries near clever
- ‹ Cleveland Heights
- ‹ Cleveland
- ‹ cleveite
- ‹ Clermont-Ferrand
- ‹ clerkly
- ‹ clerk
- ‹ clerisy
- ‹ clerihew
- ‹ clericalism
- ‹ clerical collar
- cleverly ›
- cleverness ›
- clevis ›
- clew ›
- clew lines ›
- cliché ›
- clichéd ›
- Clichy ›
- click ›
- click beetle ›

