Word Meanings - SHREWD - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. Chaucer. hath many shrewd havens, because of the great rocks that ben strong and dangerous to pass by.

Additional info about word: SHREWD

1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. Chaucer. hath many shrewd havens, because of the great rocks that ben strong and dangerous to pass by. Sir J. Mandeville. Every of this happy number That have endured shrewd days and nights with us. Shak. 2. Artful; wily; cunning; arch. These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Shak. 3. Able or clever in practical affairs; sharp in business; astute; sharp-witted; sagacious; keen; as, a shrewd observer; a shrewd design; a shrewd reply. Professing to despise the ill opinion of mankind creates a shrewd suspicion that we have deserved it. Secker. Syn. -- Keen; critical; subtle; artful; astute; sagacious; discerning; acute; penetrating. -- Shrewd, Sagacious. One who is shrewd is keen to detect errors, to penetrate disguises, to foresee and guard against the selfishness of others. Shrewd is a word of less dignity than sagacious, which implies a comprehensive as well as penetrating mind, whereas shrewd does not. -- Shrewd"ly, adv. -- Shrewd"ness, n.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of SHREWD)

• Acute
• Pointed
• penetrating
• sagacious
• perspicacious
• keen
• astute
• piercing
• sharp
• shrewd
• keen-sighted
• severe
• distressing
• Artful
• Cunning
• designing
• maneuvering
• knowing
• subtle
• sly
• crafty
• wily
• Astute
• Crafty
• discriminating
• acute
• discerning
• Knowing
• Shrewd
• proficient
• skillful
• intelligent
• experienced
• well-informed
• accomplished
• Quick
• Fast
• rapid
• speedy
• expeditious
• swift
• hasty
• prompt
• ready
• clever
• adroit
• fleet
• active
• brisk
• nimble
• lively
• agile
• alert
• sprightly
• transient
• irascible

Related words: (words related to SHREWD)

• LIVELY
  1. Endowed with or manifesting life; living. Chaplets of gold and silver resembling lively flowers and leaves. Holland. 2. Brisk; vivacious; active; as, a lively youth. But wherefore comes old Manoa in such haste, With youthful steps Much livelier
• KNOWINGLY
  1. With knowledge; in a knowing manner; intelligently; consciously; deliberately; as, he would not knowingly offend. Strype. 2. By experience. Shak.
• PROMPT-BOOK
  The book used by a prompter of a theater.
• SKILLFUL
  1. Discerning; reasonable; judicious; cunning. "Of skillful judgment." Chaucer. 2. Possessed of, or displaying, skill; knowing and ready; expert; well-versed; able in management; as, a skillful mechanic; -- often followed by at, in, or of; as,
• DISCERNANCE
  Discernment.
• DESIGN
  drawing, dessein a plan or scheme; all, ultimately, from L. designare to designate; de- + signare to mark, mark out, signum mark, sign. See 1. To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace
• WELL-INFORMED
  Correctly informed; provided with information; well furnished with authentic knowledge; intelligent.
• EXPERIENCED
  Taught by practice or by repeated observations; skillful or wise by means of trials, use, or observation; as, an experienced physician, workman, soldier; an experienced eye. The ablest and most experienced statesmen. Bancroft.
• CRAFTY
  1. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous. "Crafty work." Piers Plowman. 2. Possessing dexterity; skilled; skillful. A noble crafty man of trees. Wyclif. 3. Skillful at deceiving others; characterized by craft; cunning; wily.
• SHARPLY
  In a sharp manner,; keenly; acutely. They are more sharply to be chastised and reformed than the rude Irish. Spenser. The soldiers were sharply assailed with wants. Hayward. You contract your eye when you would see sharply. Bacon.
• DESIGNATE
  Designated; appointed; chosen. Sir G. Buck.
• SHARPER
  A person who bargains closely, especially, one who cheats in bargains; a swinder; also, a cheating gamester. Sharpers, as pikes, prey upon their own kind. L'Estrange. Syn. -- Swindler; cheat; deceiver; trickster; rogue. See Swindler.
• RAPID
  1. Very swift or quick; moving with celerity; fast; as, a rapid stream; a rapid flight; a rapid motion. Ascend my chariot; guide the rapid wheels. Milton. 2. Advancing with haste or speed; speedy in progression; in quick sequence; as, rapid growth;
• SPRIGHTLY
  Sprightlike, or spiritlike; lively; brisk; animated; vigorous; airy; gay; as, a sprightly youth; a sprightly air; a sprightly dance. "Sprightly wit and love inspires." Dryden. The sprightly Sylvia trips along the green. Pope.
• KNOWINGNESS
  The state or quality of being knowing or intelligent; shrewdness; skillfulness.
• ASTUTE
  Critically discerning; sagacious; shrewd; subtle; crafty. Syn. -- Keen; eagle-eyed; penetrating; skilled; discriminating; cunning; sagacious; subtle; wily; crafty. As*tute"ly, adv. -- As*tute"ness, n.
• RAPIDNESS
  Quality of being rapid; rapidity.
• ACCOMPLISHED
  1. Completed; effected; established; as, an accomplished fact. 2. Complete in acquirements as the result usually of training; -- commonly in a good sense; as, an accomplished scholar, an accomplished villain. They . . . show themselves accomplished
• KNOW-NOTHING
  A member of a secret political organization in the United States, the chief objects of which were the proscription of foreigners by the repeal of the naturalization laws, and the exclusive choice of native Americans for office. Note: The
• CUNNINGNESS
  Quality of being cunning; craft.
• SELF-ACTIVE
  Acting of one's self or of itself; acting without depending on other agents.
• CHYLIFACTIVE
  Producing, or converting into, chyle; having the power to form chyle.
• PREKNOWLEDGE
  Prior knowledge.
• COUNTERACTIVE
  Tending to counteract.
• ENQUICKEN
  To quicken; to make alive. Dr. H. More.
• COVER-POINT
  The fielder in the games of cricket and lacrosse who supports "point."
• INTERPENETRATE
  To penetrate between or within; to penetrate mutually. It interpenetrates my granite mass. Shelley.