Antonym of the word clever

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. clever

   Clever, as used in England, especially implies an aptitude for study or learning, and for excellent tho not preeminent mental achievement. The early New England usage as implying simple and weak good nature has largely affected the use of the word throughout the United States, where it has never been much in favor. Smart, indicating dashing ability, is now coming to have a suggestion of unscrupulousness, similar to that of the word sharp, which makes its use a doubtful compliment. The discriminating use of such words as able, gifted, talented, etc., is greatly preferable to an excessive use of the word clever. Compare ACUMEN; ASTUTE; POWER.

   Antonyms:
   awkward, bungling, clumsy, dull, foolish, idiotic, ignorant, senseless, slow, stupid, thick-headed, witless

   Synonyms:
   able, adroit, apt, bright, capable, dexterous, expert, gifted, happy, ingenious, intellectual, intelligent, keen, knowing, quick, quick-witted, sharp, skilful, smart, talented

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. clever

   Antonyms:
   weak, dull, stupid, slow, illcontrived, doltish, uninventive, awkward, clumsy, bungling, botched

   Synonyms:
   able, ready, talented, quick, ingenious, dexterous, adroit, expert, gifted, quick-witted, skillful, well-contrived

Princeton’s WordNetRate these antonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. cagey, cagy, canny, cleveradjective

   showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

   «a cagey lawyer»; «too clever to be sound»

   Antonyms:
   unintelligent, stupid, maladroit

   Synonyms:
   cagey, ingenious, chary, cagy, apt, cunning, canny

2. apt, cleveradjective

   mentally quick and resourceful

   «an apt pupil»; «you are a clever man…you reason well and your wit is bold»-Bram Stoker

   Antonyms:
   stupid, unintelligent, maladroit

   Synonyms:
   disposed(p), minded(p), cagey, given(p), ingenious, apt(p), cagy, apt, cunning, tending(p), liable(p), canny, apposite, pertinent

3. clever, cunning, ingeniousadjective

   showing inventiveness and skill

   «a clever gadget»; «the cunning maneuvers leading to his success»; «an ingenious solution to the problem»

   Antonyms:
   stupid, maladroit, unintelligent

   Synonyms:
   tricksy, canny, cunning, cagy, slick, sly, cute, cagey, wily, apt, ingenious, knavish, crafty, guileful, dodgy, tricky, foxy

How to use clever in a sentence?

1. Samuel Butler:

   People care more about being thought to have taste than about being good, clever, or amiable.

2. David Weiner:

   They did a very, very exceptionally clever trial design and were able to get to advocacy in a relatively small number of people in very quick time to get through their phase two. And it surprised everybody, quite honestly, in a positive way, how fast theyre able to do that. It took certainly less than a year. an emergency use authorization is not usually used, and that is where you get through early studies and show its safe and youre given permission to start distributing it more widely.

3. Bertrand Russell:

   A stupid man’s report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.

4. Will Durant:

   One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.

5. Rothschild:

   Never have anything to do with an unlucky place, or an unlucky man. I have seen many clever men, very clever men, who had not shoes to their feet. I never act with them. Their advice sounds very well, but they cannot get on themselves; and if they cannot do good to themselves, how can they do good for me?

How to pronounce clever?

How to say clever in sign language?

Select another language: