shrewd
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shrewd (s̸hro̵̅o̅d)
adjective
- Obsolete
- evil, bad, wicked, mischievous, shrewish, etc.
- artful, cunning, wily, etc. in one's dealings with others
- keen-witted, clever, or sharp in practical affairs; astute: the usual current sense
- Archaic keen; piercing; sharp
Etymology: ME schrewed, pp. of schrewen, to curse < schrewe: see shrew
Related Forms:
- shrewdly shrewd′ly adverb
- shrewdness shrewd′·ness noun
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
shrewd
modif.
Clever
astute, acute, sharp, keen, quick, perceptive, canny, knowing, sagacious, perspicacious, ingenious, sharp; see also clever 1, intelligent 1.Cunning
calculating, crafty, cagey*; see sly 1.
shrewd implies keenness of mind, sharp insight, and a cleverness in practical matters a shrewd comment, businessman, etc.; sagacious implies keen discernment and farsighted judgment a sagacious counselor; perspicacious suggests the penetrating mental vision or discernment that enables one clearly to see and understand what is obscure, hidden, etc. a perspicacious judge of character; astute implies shrewdness combined with sagacity and sometimes connotes, in addition, artfulness or cunning an astute politician See also syn. study at clever.
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preposition: as
- snake: You are to be " as shrewd as snakes " but also " as innocent as doves " .
Modifies a noun
- tactician: Bruce, also, was an inspiring leader, a brave guerilla and a shrewd tactician.
Modifying Another Word
- pretty: Anyone who has worked on a labor ward gets a pretty shrewd idea about this.
Infinitive complement
- make: Elizabeth was much too shrewd to make a marriage which might damage her reputation, and she remained single.
Used with adjective complement
- look: Ramaker's two-stage approach looks shrewd, with his working paper laying the essential groundwork.
Preposition: in
- business: You are shrewd in business and cannot be trusted.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
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MLA Style
"shrewd." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/shrewd>
APA Style
shrewd. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/shrewd
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