Definition of the word clever - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

: mentally quick and resourceful

: marked by wit or ingenuity

the play’s clever dialogue

dialect

: easy to use or handle

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for clever

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.

clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one’s purpose in spite of difficulties.

cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

synonyms see in addition
intelligent

Example Sentences

All of Laptsev went to stare at the bride-to-be—she was no beauty, but everyone could see that she was clever, sophisticated …

—Isaac Bashevis Singer, New Yorker, 29 Sept. 2003

… the three of them may give Gray Davis, who was too clever for his own good, his comeuppance.

—Garrison Keillor, Time, 25 Aug. 2003

Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator …

—Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002

Those who can’t write poetry, write clever letters to the editor. Those who can’t write clever letters to the editor, write angry letters to the editor.

—Matt Groening, Utne Reader, November/December 1987

The old lady was clever enough and he thought that if she had started from any of the right premises, more might have been expected of her.

—Flannery O’Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge, 1967

Some cats are clever enough to figure out how to operate doorknobs.

That’s the cleverest idea I’ve heard yet!

She found a clever hiding place for the letter.

Recent Examples on the Web

This clever device was designed with convenience in mind.

—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2023

Brian was so clever and funny and cool.

—Lo Carmen, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2023

While this volume might leave you craving a single compelling protagonist, its clever worldbuilding and sardonic wit more than compensate.

—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2023

Watching Assane pull off daring heists and clever escapes never gets old.

—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2023

Still, this is a practical hauler, featuring clever storage cubbies spread throughout the cabin.

—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 6 Apr. 2023

Her heart isn’t in it, but this sad gig is the accelerant for Susanna Hoffs’ clever and entertaining debut novel about the nagging ambivalence of love, missed connections and the transcendent power of a great two-minute pop song.

—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023

From heartwarming and sweet to funny and clever one-liners, here are the best puns for every kind of mom.

—Martha Sorren, Woman’s Day, 20 Mar. 2023

Coyotes are curious, clever and adaptable, and will take advantage of any food, water or shelter source.

—Ellie Willard, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2023

See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘clever.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful

First Known Use

circa 1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of clever was
circa 1595

Dictionary Entries Near clever

Cite this Entry

“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clever. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on clever

Last Updated:
12 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

Top Definitions
Synonyms
Quiz
Related Content
Examples
British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

adjective, clev·er·er, clev·er·est.

mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.

superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile: It was an amusing, clever play, but of no lasting value.

showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious: His clever device was the first to solve the problem.

adroit with the hands or body; dexterous or nimble.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Origin of clever

1175–1225; Middle English cliver, akin to Old English clifer claw, clife burdock. See cleavers

OTHER WORDS FROM clever

clev·er·ish, adjectiveclev·er·ish·ly, adverbclev·er·ly, adverbclev·er·ness, noun

o·ver·clev·er, adjectiveo·ver·clev·er·ly, adverbo·ver·clev·er·ness, nounun·clev·er, adjectiveun·clev·er·ly, adverbun·clev·er·ness, noun

Words nearby clever

C-level, Cleveland, Cleveland Bay, Cleveland, Grover, Cleveland Heights, clever, clever-clever, clever Dick, Cleves, clevis, clew

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to clever

able, adept, adroit, alert, apt, astute, brainy, brilliant, cagey, canny, capable, competent, crackerjack, cunning, deep, discerning, egghead, expert, foxy, gifted

How to use clever in a sentence

Often, they include several pages of straightforward cooking advice, clever and common ingredient substitutions, and measurement conversions.
There are so many things to love about the Surface Duo, from the “dropped in from the future” looks and smooth feel to the clever hinges and the new split-screen app mode.
Zhong’s clever marketing is also a factor in Nongfu’s success.
The question he directed at me was my cue, and in the back of the limousine I’d spent some time thinking about clever and unexpected answers to a million different questions about Avatar, although perhaps not this particular one.

He’s very good at finding clever ways of encoding problems as SAT problems.
Few of us are as clever as my Inspector Morse-loving friend.
The clever part is that the present was “re-gifted” from city and state tax revenues.
The clever crooks managed to rack up $2 million in profits over a year, Ares said.
He wants to show her how clever he is and, more importantly, how well the script is going, that there is hope, a future.
The small band of French critics helped shift the view of Hitchcock from a clever, popular entertainer to a Significant Artist.
And so this is why the clever performer cannot reproduce the effect of a speech of Demosthenes or Daniel Webster.
I have taken a violent dislike to more than one clever American man merely because he trailed his voice through his nose.
For some time he said nothing, and then he remarked that I was very clever, but he did n’t see a word of sense in what I said.
It was as if he had said: «You think yourself very clever, but do you suppose that I can’t read the notes in a time-table?»
But all men at times betray themselves, and some betrayals, if scarcely clever, are not without nobility.

British Dictionary definitions for clever

adjective

displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness

adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands

smart in a superficial way

British informal sly; cunning

(predicative; used with a negative) dialect healthy; fit

Derived forms of clever

cleverish, adjectivecleverly, adverbcleverness, noun

Word Origin for clever

C13 cliver (in the sense: quick to seize, adroit), of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Источник

clev·er

(klĕv′ər)

adj. clev·er·er, clev·er·est

a. Mentally quick and original; bright: a clever student.

b. Skilled at accomplishing things, especially with the hands: a clever carpenter.

c. Crafty; cunning: «a hard-working kid who rose from poverty, only to be duped by rich, clever bankers» (Jeff Goodell).

a. Exhibiting ingenuity or imagination; creative or artful: a clever experiment.

b. Witty; amusing: an evening of clever repartee.

c. Characterized by cunning or shrewdness: clever manipulation of public opinion.

3. New England Easily managed; docile: «Oxen must be pretty clever to be bossed around the way they are» (Dialect Notes).

4. Chiefly Southern US Good-natured; amiable.

clev′er·ly adv.

clev′er·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.

clever

(ˈklɛvə)

adj

1. displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness

2. adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands

3. smart in a superficial way

4. informal Brit sly; cunning

5. (predicative; used with a negative) dialect healthy; fit

[C13 cliver (in the sense: quick to seize, adroit), of uncertain origin]

ˈcleverish adj

ˈcleverly adv

ˈcleverness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

clev•er

(ˈklɛv ər)

adj. -er•er, -er•est.

1. mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.

2. superficially skillful or witty; facile: a clever remark.

3. showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious: a clever idea.

4. dexterous or nimble.

5. Dial.

a. suitable; satisfactory.

b. good-natured.

c. handsome.

[1250–1300; Middle English cliver, akin to Old English clifer claw, clife burdock. See cleavers]

clev′er•ish, adj.

clev′er•ish•ly, adv.

clev′er•ly, adv.

clev′er•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

clever — showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others; «a cagey lawyer»; «too clever to be sound»

smart — showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

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

intelligent — having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree; «is there intelligent life in the universe?»; «an intelligent question»

clever — 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»

clever

adjective

1. intelligent, quick, bright, talented, gifted, keen, capable, smart, sensible, rational, witty, apt, discerning, knowledgeable, astute, brainy (informal), quick-witted, sagacious, knowing, deep, expert My sister has always been the clever one in our family.
intelligent slow, thick, stupid, dull, dense, dumb (informal), witless

3. skilful, able, talented, gifted, capable, inventive, adroit, dexterous My father was very clever with his hands.
skilful awkward, clumsy, inept, inexpert, maladroit, unaccomplished, ham-fisted (informal)

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

clever

adjective

1. Mentally quick and original:

2. Exhibiting or possessing skill and ease in performance:

3. Amusing or pleasing because of wit or originality:

Translations

بارِع، ذَكيذكيشَاطِرماهِر، حاذِق

chytrýznamenitýzručný

klogkvikrasksmartsnild

älykäskätevänokkela

pametan

eszesokosügyes

handlaginn, snjallskynsamur, greindursnjall

賢い

영리한

nagingasprotingaiprotingumassumanumas

gudrsizveicīgsprasmīgi darinātsspējīgs

bisterspreten

begåvad

เฉลียวฉลาด

thông minh

clever

[ˈklevəʳ] ADJ (cleverer (compar) (cleverest (superl)))

3. (= ingenious) [book, idea, design] → ingenioso

4. (often pej) (= smart, astute) [politician, lawyer, criminal] → astuto, listo; [move, approach, plan] → astuto, ingenioso; [trick, hoax, technique, advertising] → ingenioso
he was too clever for us → fue más listo que nosotros
he did some clever book-keeping → hizo la contabilidad con bastante maña
don’t get clever (with me)! > → ¡no te hagas el listo (conmigo)!
to be too clever by half > → pasarse de listo
clever Dick (Brit) clever clogs (Brit) → sabelotodo mf inv, listorro/a m/f
see also half 1

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

clever

[ˈklɛvə^r] adj

(= crafty) [person] → habile
to be too clever by half (British) → être trop malin/igne

[device, arrangement, system] → ingénieux/euse, astucieux/euse
a clever system → un système astucieux
what a clever idea! → quelle bonne idée!

clever

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

clever

(ˈklevə) adjective

1. quick to learn and understand. a clever child.

2. skilful. a clever carpenter.

3. (of things) showing cleverness. a clever idea.

ˈcleverly adverbˈcleverness noun

clever

→ شَاطِر chytrý klog schlau έξυπνος inteligente älykäs intelligent pametan intelligente 賢い 영리한 slim smart zdolny esperto умный begåvad เฉลียวฉลาด zeki thông minh 聪明的

Источник

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”), perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”), or perhaps from East Frisian (compare Saterland Frisian kluftich), or dialectal Norwegian klover (“ready, skillful”); possibly influenced by Old English clifer (“claw, hand”).^[1] Related to cleave. Perhaps influenced by Welsh celfydd (“talented, dexterous, expert”).

Pronunciation[edit]

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈklɛvɚ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈklɛvə/
Rhymes: -ɛvə(ɹ)
Hyphenation: clev‧er

Adjective[edit]

clever (comparative cleverer or more clever, superlative cleverest or most clever)

Nimble with hands or body; skillful; adept.
- a. 1898, Francis James Child (collator), Child’s Ballads, 198: «Bonny John Seton»,
  
  The Highland men, they’re clever men
  At handling sword and shield,
Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.
Mentally quick and resourceful.

A simple but clever trick to solve the problem.

clever like a fox
- 1890, Joseph Jacobs (collator), Molly Whuppie, English Fairy Tales,
  
  The youngest of the three strange lassies was called Molly Whuppie, and she was very clever. She noticed that before they went to bed the giant put straw ropes round her neck and her sisters’, and round his own lassies’ necks, he put gold chains. So Molly took care and did not fall asleep, but waited till she was sure every one was sleeping sound. Then she slipped out of the bed, and took the straw ropes off her own and her sisters’ necks, and took the gold chains off the giant’s lassies. She then put the straw ropes on the giant’s lassies and the gold on herself and her sisters, and lay down.
- 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
  
  Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. […] Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.
Skilled at achieving what one wants, especially via unusual methods.

With a clever lawyer, she could easily be acquitted.
Smart, intelligent, or witty; mentally quick or sharp.
- 19th c, Charles Kingsley, A Farewell,
  
  Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
  Do noble things, not dream them all day long:
  And so make life, death, and that vast forever / One grand, sweet song.
- 1860, John Timbs, School-Days of Eminent Men‎^[1], page 177:
  
  Lord Macaulay has said of Bunyan: “though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds. One of these minds produced ‘The Paradise Lost;’ the other, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress.’”
- 1912, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett (translator), The Brothers Karamazov, Book V, Chapter 7: «It’s Always Worth While Speaking to a Clever Man»,
  
  I would have sent Alyosha, but what use is Alyosha in a thing like that? I send you just because you are a clever fellow. Do you suppose I don’t see that? You know nothing about timber, but you’ve got an eye.
(of objects or actions) Showing inventiveness or originality; witty.
- 1816, Jane Austen, chapter 9, in Emma, volume 1:
  
  Mr. Woodhouse was almost as much interested in the business as the girls, and tried very often to recollect something worth their putting in. «So many clever riddles as there used to be when he was young—he wondered he could not remember them! but he hoped he should in time.» And it always ended in «Kitty, a fair but frozen maid.»
- 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
  
  Just before the break Villa were denied a second goal when Bent had the ball in the net, although he was ruled offside after Jean Makoun’s clever pass.
- 2014 April 11, Ron Charles, “David Grand’s ‘Mount Terminus’”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 190, number 18, page 37:
  
  The Rosenbloom Loop is a clever little device, but it’s an even more clever symbol of the role that discipline plays in the creation of illusion: the persistence of vision that makes sequential still images appear to move.
(anthropology, of an Aboriginal Australian) Possessing magical abilities.
- 1904, Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, Vol. XXXVIII, page 255,
  
  When a clever man is out hunting and comes across the tracks of, say, a kangaroo, he follows them along and talks to the footprints all the time for the purpose of injecting magic into the animal which made them.
- 1947, Oceania, Volumes 16-17, page 330,
  
  Prior to this, the two women, who were “clever,” and possessed a certain amount of magical “power,” […] .
- 1991, John & Sue Erbacher, Aborigines of the Rainforest:
  
  Fred is the clever fellow or tribal doctor who practises with the Kuku-Yalanji people. The tribal doctor’s work includes curing sickness, finding out the causes of death, predicting the future and making and stopping rain.
(obsolete) Fit; suitable; having propriety.
- 18th c, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope (later lines), Imitation of Horace, 1852, Charles Knight (collator), Half-hours with the Best Authors, Volume 4, page 188,
  
  I can’t but think ‘twould sound more clever,
  To me and to my heirs forever.
(obsolete) Well-shaped; handsome.
(US, dated) Good-natured; obliging.
(UK, colloquial) Fit and healthy; free from fatigue or illness.
- 2010, Colin Ross, Death of the Docks, page 196:
  
  But at that moment I knew it was all over for me, I had never thought that this day would come, but it had and I was not feeling too clever. In fact I had to escape to a nearby toilet to be sick.

Synonyms[edit]

(smart, intelligent or witty): quick-witted, sharp-witted
- See also Thesaurus:intelligent
(resourceful, perhaps cunning): cunning, street-smart
(nimble or skillful): adroit, talented
(showing inventiveness): ingenious
(possessing magical powers): magical

Antonyms[edit]

(smart, intelligent or witty): dull, stupid
(resourceful, perhaps cunning): ineffectual, naive
(nimble or skillful): clumsy
(showing inventiveness):
(possessing magical powers): natural

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

→ German: clever
→ Limburgish: klevver

Translations[edit]

nimble with hands or body

Bulgarian: сръчен (bg) (srǎčen), изкусен (bg) (izkusen)
Burmese: တော် (my) (tau)
Catalan: àgil (ca), hàbil (ca), destre (ca)
Danish: kvik, rask (da), snild
Finnish: kätevä (fi)
French: habile (fr), agile (fr), adroit (fr), adroite (fr) f
German: geschickt (de)
Hungarian: ügyes (hu)
Japanese: 巧い (ja) (umai)
Portuguese: hábil (pt)
Russian: иску́сный (ru) (iskúsnyj), ло́вкий (ru) (lóvkij), уме́лый (ru) (umélyj)
Scottish Gaelic: tapaidh
Spanish: ágil (es), hábil (es)
Swahili: erevu (sw)
Ukrainian: вмі́лий (vmílyj), впра́вний (uk) (vprávnyj)
Walloon: adjete (wa) m or f, abeye (wa) m or f, adroet (wa) m, adroete (wa) f, subtil m, subtile f

skillful

Bulgarian: способен (bg) (sposoben), даровит (bg) (darovit)
Catalan: llest (ca)
Danish: smart
Finnish: nokkela (fi)
French: talentueux (fr)
German: geschickt (de)
Romanian: îndemânatic (ro)
Russian: спосо́бный (ru) (sposóbnyj), дарови́тый (ru) (darovítyj), уме́лый (ru) (umélyj), одарённый (ru) (odarjónnyj)
Scottish Gaelic: tapaidh
Spanish: listo (es), talentoso (es), habiloso (es), habilidoso (es)
Swahili: erevu (sw)
Ukrainian: зді́бний (zdíbnyj), вмі́лий (vmílyj), обдаро́ваний (obdaróvanyj)
Walloon: capåbe (wa) m or f

resourceful, sometimes to the point of cunning

mentally quick or sharp

Afrikaans: slim
Albanian: i zgjuar
Arabic: ذَكِيّ‎ (ḏakiyy)

Egyptian Arabic: شاطر‎

Moroccan Arabic: دكي‎ m (dki), مطور‎ m (mṭuwwar)

South Levantine Arabic: شاطر‎ (sháṭer)
Armenian: խելացի (hy) (xelacʿi), խելոք (hy) (xelokʿ)
Assamese: বুধিয়ক (budhik)
Asturian: llistu
Azerbaijani: ağıllı (az)
Bashkir: аҡыллы (aqıllı)
Belarusian: разу́мны (razúmny)
Bengali: চতুর (cotur)
Bulgarian: у́мен (bg) (úmen)
Burmese: လျင် (my) (lyang), ဉာဏ်ကောင်း (my) (nyankaung:), ပါးလျား (my) (pa:lya:), အကြံပိုင် (my) (a.krampuing)
Catalan: llest (ca), espavilat (ca)
Chinese:

Mandarin: 聰明／聪明 (zh) (cōngming), 伶俐 (zh) (línglì)
Czech: chytrý (cs)
Danish: klog (da), smart
Darkinjung: girrâchi
Dutch: slim (nl), kloek (nl), scherpzinnig (nl)
Esperanto: sprita
Estonian: nutikas
Finnish: nokkela (fi), ovela (fi), älykäs (fi)
French: intelligent (fr), malin (fr) m
Georgian: ჭკვიანი (č̣ḳviani)
German: patent (de), klug (de), gescheit (de), clever (de), schlau (de), pfiffig (de)

Alemannic German: arig
Gothic: 𐍃𐌽𐌿𐍄𐍂𐍃 (snutrs)
Greek: έξυπνος (el) (éxypnos)
Hebrew: פיקח‎ (he) (piqe’akh), חָכָם‎ (he) (khakhám)
Hindi: होशियार (hi) (hośiyār)
Hungarian: okos (hu), eszes (hu)
Icelandic: snjall (is)
Irish: cliste
Italian: furbo (it), astuto (it), sveglio (it), scaltro (it), brillante (it)
Japanese: 賢い (ja) (kashikoi), 敏い (satoi), 利口な (ja) (rikō na)
Kazakh: ақылды (kk) (aqyldy)
Khmer: ឆ្លាត (km) (chlaat)
Korean: 똑똑하다 (ko) (ttokttok-hada) (predicate), 똑똑한 (ttokttok-han) (attributive), 영리하다 (ko) (yeongni-hada) (predicate), 영리한 (yeongni-han) (attributive)
Kott: anaŋaja
Kurdish:

Central Kurdish: زیرەک‎ (ckb) (zîrek)
Kyrgyz: акылдуу (ky) (akılduu), эстүү (ky) (estüü)
Lao: ສະຫລາດ (sa lāt), ສລາດ (sa lāt)
Latin: sapiens, callidus, catus
Latvian: gudrs (lv)
Lithuanian: protingas
Macedonian: умен (umen)
Malay: pandai (ms)
Maori: ihumanea, manea
Mingrelian: ჭკვერი (č̣ḳveri)
Mongolian: ухаантай (mn) (uxaantaj)
Norwegian: klok (no), begavet, intelligent (no), skarpsindig, smart (no)
Persian: باهوش‎ (fa) (bâ-huš), زیرک‎ (fa) (zirak), زرنگ‎ (fa) (zerang)
Polish: sprytny (pl), zmyślny, bystry (pl), zdolny (pl)
Portuguese: esperto (pt)
Romanian: deștept (ro)
Russian: у́мный (ru) (úmnyj), разу́мный (ru) (razúmnyj), хи́трый (ru) (xítryj) (sly, cunning)
Sanskrit: चतुर (sa) (catura)
Scottish Gaelic: tapaidh, glic
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: паметан

Roman: pametan (sh)
Sinhalese: හපන් (hapan), දක්ෂ (dakṣa)
Slovak: chytrý
Slovene: pameten
Sorbian:

Lower Sorbian: mudry
Spanish: listo (es), inteligente (es), pillo (es), astuto (es)
Swahili: erevu (sw)
Swedish: klok (sv), smart (sv)
Tajik: оқил (oqil), боақл (boaql), ҳушманд (hušmand)
Tatar: акыллы (aqıllı)
Telugu: మేధావి (te) (mēdhāvi)
Thai: ฉลาด (th) (chà-làat)
Turkish: akıllı (tr), zeki (tr), afacan (tr)
Turkmen: akylly (tk)
Ukrainian: розу́мний (rozúmnyj)
Urdu: ہوشیار‎ (hośiyār)
Uzbek: aqlli (uz), oqil (uz)
Vietnamese: thông minh (vi) (聰明)
Walloon: sûti (wa) m, sûteye (wa) f, malén (wa) m, malene (wa) f
Welsh: clyfar (cy)
Yiddish: קלוג‎ (klug)

things showing inventiveness or originality

Translations to be checked

Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} פיקח‎ (he) m (piqe’akh), ^{(please verify)} פיקחית‎ f (piqkhyt)
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} pintar (id)
Irish: ^{(please verify)} abúil
Italian: (1) ^{(please verify)} intelligente (it)
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} descurcăreț (ro)
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} smart (sv)

References[edit]

^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “clever”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams[edit]

Clerve

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English clever.

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA^(key): [ˈklɛvɐ]
Hyphenation: cle‧ver

Adjective[edit]

clever (strong nominative masculine singular cleverer, comparative cleverer or clevrer, superlative am cleversten)

clever

Declension[edit]

Comparative forms of clever

Superlative forms of clever

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

clever

Alternative form of clevere

Источник

Other forms: cleverest; cleverer

Clever may seem like a compliment, but this adjective boasts a rather broad range of meanings—from «intelligent» and «imaginative» to «calculating» or «contrived.»

The roots of the word clever, are unknown. It was in use colloquially long before it entered the literary record, and this may be a factor in the word’s enduring suppleness. The earliest written examples of clever convey the idea of dexterity — that is, the term was used to describe someone who was good with his hands. Now, clever still means «agile» or «adroit,» but it refers to mental, rather than physical, skill. Clever can also be used to describe the products of a nimble mind, such as a «clever scheme» or a «clever device.»

Definitions of clever

adjective

mentally quick and resourceful

“»you are a
clever man…you reason well and your wit is bold»-Bram Stoker”

synonyms:

apt

intelligent

having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
adjective

showing inventiveness and skill

“a
clever gadget”

synonyms:

cunning, ingenious

adroit

quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
adjective

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

“too
clever to be sound”

synonyms:

cagey, cagy, canny

smart

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘clever’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Look up clever for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Get started

Источник

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near clever

Cite this Entry

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on clever

Origin of clever

OTHER WORDS FROM clever

Words nearby clever

Words related to clever

How to use clever in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clever

Derived forms of clever

Word Origin for clever

clev·er

clever

clev•er

clever

clever

clever

clever

clever

clever

clever

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

Declension[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

Look up clever for the last time

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.