cunning
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cun·ning
(kŭn′ĭng)adj.
1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.
2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.
3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.
n.
1. Skill in deception; guile.
2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.
[Middle English, present participle of connen, to know, from Old English cunnan; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]
cun′ning·ly adv.
cun′ning·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cunning
(ˈkʌnɪŋ)adj
1. crafty and shrewd, esp in deception; sly: cunning as a fox.
2. made with or showing skill or cleverness; ingenious
n
3. craftiness, esp in deceiving; slyness
4. cleverness, skill, or ingenuity
[Old English cunnende; related to cunnan to know (see can1), cunnian to test, experience, Old Norse kunna to know]
ˈcunningly adv
ˈcunningness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cun•ning
(ˈkʌn ɪŋ)n.
1. skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile.
2. adeptness in performance; dexterity: The weaver's hand lost its cunning.
adj. 3. showing or made with ingenuity.
4. artfully subtle or shrewd; crafty; sly.
5. charmingly cute or appealing: a cunning little baby.
6. Archaic. skillful; expert.
[1275–1325; (n.) Middle English; Old English cunnung=cunn(an) to know (see can1) + -ung -ing1; (adj.) Middle English, present participle of cunnan to know]
cun′ning•ly, adv.
cun′ning•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cunning
Rare. skill or craftiness. — callid, adj.
crafty or deceitful practice. — jesuitic, jesuitical, adj.
subterfuge or devious and underhanded behavior; low cunning.
the art or process of gaining the advantage in situations by means of crafty or ingenious ploys.
1. the act or process of subterfuge or evasion.
2. the abandoning of a cause or belief; apostasy. — tergiversator, n.
2. the abandoning of a cause or belief; apostasy. — tergiversator, n.
Rare. the state or quality of being foxlike, especially crafty or cunning. — vulpine, adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | cunning - shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception astuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdness - intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings) |
2. | cunning - crafty artfulness (especially in deception) artfulness - the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage | |
Adj. | 1. | cunning - attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness; "a cute kid with pigtails"; "a cute little apartment"; "cunning kittens"; "a cunning baby" attractive - pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm; "a remarkably attractive young man"; "an attractive personality"; "attractive clothes"; "a book with attractive illustrations" |
2. | cunning - marked by skill in deception; "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney" artful - marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors" | |
3. | cunning - showing inventiveness and skill; "a clever gadget"; "the cunning maneuvers leading to his success"; "an ingenious solution to the problem" adroit - quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; "an exceptionally adroit pianist"; "an adroit technician"; "his adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers"; "an adroit negotiator" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cunning
adjective
1. crafty, sly, devious, artful, sharp, subtle, tricky, shrewd, astute, canny, wily, Machiavellian, shifty, foxy, guileful He's a cunning, devious, good-for-nothing so-and-so.
crafty frank, ethical, honest, artless, ingenuous
crafty frank, ethical, honest, artless, ingenuous
2. ingenious, subtle, imaginative, shrewd, sly, astute, devious, artful, Machiavellian I came up with a cunning plan.
noun
1. craftiness, guile, trickery, shrewdness, deviousness, artfulness, slyness, wiliness, foxiness an example of the cunning of modern art thieves
craftiness sincerity, candour, ingenuousness
craftiness sincerity, candour, ingenuousness
2. skill, art, ability, craft, subtlety, ingenuity, finesse, artifice, dexterity, cleverness, deftness, astuteness, adroitness He tackled the problem with skill and cunning.
skill clumsiness
skill clumsiness
Quotations
"Cunning is the dark sanctuary of incapacity" [Lord Chesterfield Letters...to his Godson and Successor]
"Cunning is the dark sanctuary of incapacity" [Lord Chesterfield Letters...to his Godson and Successor]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
cunning
adjectivenoun1. Deceitful cleverness:
2. The act or practice of deceiving:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ماكِرمُحْتال، ماكِرمَكْر، دهاء، بَراعه، احتيالمُنَفَّذ بِبَراعه، ذكي، بارِع
chytrýmazanostmazanýprohnanostrafinovaný
snusnuhedudspekuleretkloglist
ovelataitavataitavuuskiero
lukav
alattomoscsalafintacselesdörzsöltravasz
kænskakunnáttusamlegur; kænnlúmskur
狡猾な
교활한
callidus
apgaulingasišradingas
apķērīgsgudrsviltībaviltīgs
priceputvicleanviclenie
premetenzvit
listigslug
เจ้าเล่ห์
xảo quyệt
cunning
[ˈkʌnɪŋ]A. ADJ
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
cunning
[ˈkʌnɪŋ] adj
[person] (= clever) → malin/igne (pejorative) (= crafty) → rusé(e)
(= clever) [device, idea] → astucieux/euse
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
cunning
n (= cleverness) → Schlauheit f, → Listigkeit f, → Gerissenheit f; (liter: = skill) → (Kunst)fertigkeit f, → Geschick nt
adj
plan → schlau; person → schlau, gerissen; smile, expression → verschmitzt, verschlagen (pej); (= ingenious) gadget → schlau or clever (inf) → ausgedacht
(US inf) → drollig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
cunning
[ˈkʌnɪŋ]1. adj (pej) (crafty) → furbo/a, astuto/a; (clever, device, idea) → ingegnoso/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
cunning
(ˈkaniŋ) adjective1. sly; clever in a deceitful way. cunning tricks.
2. clever. a cunning device.
noun slyness or deceitful cleverness. full of cunning.
ˈcunningly adverbcunningly disguised.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
cunning
→ ماكِر rafinovaný snu schlau πανούργος astuto ovela rusé lukav furbo 狡猾な 교활한 listig listig przebiegły astuto хитрый listig เจ้าเล่ห์ kurnaz xảo quyệt 狡猾的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009