shrewd

shrewd
shrewd [shro͞od]
adj.
[ME schrewed, pp. of schrewen, to curse < schrewe: see SHREW]
1. Obs.
a) evil, bad, wicked, mischievous, shrewish, etc.
b) artful, cunning, wily, etc. in one's dealings with others
2. keen-witted, clever, or sharp in practical affairs; astute: the usual current sense
3. Archaic keen; piercing; sharp
SYN.- CLEVER
shrewdly
adv.
shrewdness
n.
SYN.- 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 ]

English World dictionary. . 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shrewd — Shrewd, a. [Compar. {Shrewder}; superl. {Shrewdest}.] [Originally the p. p. of shrew, v.t.] 1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. [Obs.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shrewd´ly — shrewd «shrood», adjective. 1. having a sharp mind; showing a keen wit; clever: »a shrewd argument. »He is a shrewd businessman. He was too shrewd to go along with them upon a road which could lead only to their overthrow (James Froude). 2. a)… …   Useful english dictionary

  • shrewd — shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute can all mean acute in perception and sound in judgment, especially in reference to practical affairs. Shrewd implies native cleverness, acumen, and an exceptional ability to see below the surface; it often …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • shrewd — UK US /ʃruːd/ adjective ► able to judge people and situations well and make good decisions: »My one big regret is about money I wish I d been more shrewd. »Simon is an extremely shrewd businessman. »The time is ripe for shrewd investors to make a …   Financial and business terms

  • shrewd — [ʃru:d] adj [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: shrew in the old meaning very bad man ] 1.) good at judging what people or situations are really like ▪ Malcolm is a shrewd and realistic businessman. ▪ She was shrewd enough to guess who was responsible. ▪… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shrewd — [ ʃrud ] adjective * 1. ) able to judge people and situations very well and make good decisions: a shrewd politician a ) used about decisions and judgments: a shrewd marketing strategy 2. ) good at tricking people to get something you want: a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • shrewd — shrewd; shrewd·ly; shrewd·ness; …   English syllables

  • shrewd|ie — «SHROO dee», noun. Informal. a shrewd person …   Useful english dictionary

  • shrewd — index artful, judicious, machiavellian, perceptive, perspicacious, politic, practiced, prudent, resourceful …   Law dictionary

  • shrewd — c.1300, wicked, evil, from shrewe wicked man (see SHREW (Cf. shrew)). Cf. crabbed from CRAB (Cf. crab), dogged from DOG (Cf. dog), wicked from WITCH (Cf. witch). The sense …   Etymology dictionary

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