What does the word clever means

умный, ловкий, искусный, способный, талантливый, даровитый, юркий, добродушный

прилагательное ↓

Словосочетания

a house with many clever little flourishes — дом со множеством мелких изящных завитушек  
a writer known for her clever use of irony — писательница, известная умелым использованием иронии  
a clever cookie — умный парень  
clever devil — хитрый чёрт  
clever disguise — умелая маскировка  
clever forgery — ловкая подделка  
the lubricity of the clever tactician — изворотливость умного тактика  
clever manoeuvre — умный ход  
clever / smart move — разумный поступок  
clever camera work — толковая операторская работа  
clever book — талантливая книга  
clever Dick / clogs — брит.; разг. умник, всезнайка  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Возможные однокоренные слова

cleverness  — ловкость, одаренность, умение, искусность
cleverly  — умно, умело, разумно

Формы слова

adjective
срав. степ. (comparative): cleverer
прев. степ. (superlative): cleverest

Last Updated:
12 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Asked by: Mr. Kevin Stracke

Score: 5/5
(62 votes)

adjective. informal clever in a showy manner; artful; overclever.

What does it mean to be called 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.

Is being clever a compliment?

clever Add to list Share. 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.

What is a smart clever person called?

genius. noun. someone who is much more intelligent or skilful than other people.

What is an example of being clever?

The definition of clever is being smart or having the skills to do something well. An example of clever is a builder who can construct a deck around any tree. An example of clever is a magazine that speaks intelligently about politics and pop culture. (chiefly southern us) Good-natured; amiable.

17 related questions found

I _should_ like to know what her estimate is, but am always half afraid of finding a clever novel _too clever_, and of finding my own story and my own people all forestalled. ❋ Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh (N/A)

— I should like to know what her Estimate is-but am always half afraid of finding a clever novel too clever-& of finding my own story and my own people all forestalled. ❋ Unknown (1796)

Examining the brain-imaging data, Bengtsson found that the students’ brains responded differently to the mistakes they made depending on whether they were primed with the word clever or the word stupid. ❋ Unknown (2012)

“To you,” pursued Forcheville, “does intelligence mean what they call clever talk; you know, the sort of people who worm their way into society?” ❋ Unknown (2003)

Modder River, when all day long most of our men were quite unable to discover on which side of the stream the Boer entrenchments were, and in what they called clever trickery, but we called treachery, they are absolutely unsurpassable. ❋ Edward P. Lowry (N/A)

«To you,» pursued Forcheville, «does intelligence mean what they call clever talk; you know, the sort of people who worm their way into society?» ❋ Marcel Proust (1896)

Mrs. Clymer Ketchum, though her acquaintances were chiefly in the world of fortune and of fashion, had yet a certain weakness for what she called clever people. ❋ Oliver Wendell Holmes (1851)

It is an operation so absorbing that it often weakens those pettier talents which make what we call the clever man. ❋ Charles Reade (1849)

The father-in-law of Tallien is a banker, what you call a clever fellow; another word, says the most sensible man here, for a cheat; the court and the clergy mutually support each other, and their combined despotism is indeed dreadful, yet much is doing; Jardine is very active; he has forwarded the establishment of schools in the Asturias with his Spanish friends. ❋ Cottle, Joseph (1847)

«It depends what you call clever and what you call dirty,» said Wenger, who was asked whether he felt Scholes tackled unfairly. ❋ Unknown (2010)

So he hasn’t learned what we call clever tricks, by which I mean things like tapping his paw on the piano when we say «Play Mozart,» or wriggling behind the piano bench when we say ❋ Unknown (2009)

Chilling it certainly is, but I’m not sure «clever» is exactly right. ❋ Unknown (2009)

They are clever — «clever» is perhaps not the word, but they are possessed of that native, almost beast-like type of cunning. ❋ Unknown (1939)

I did not perceive the full meaning of the word «clever,» when Mr. Shepard added, «Oh, he meant this, that you are a young man of promise, using the word clever as it is used in England.» ❋ Unknown (1911)

While Rory is identified as a clever political satirist, there’s another side to him – he’s very much a musician and linguist. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The Kindle, while clever, is a pretty danged lame reading device. ❋ P_n_elrod (2010)

It felt like Halloween, but instead of costumes, people were dressed up in clever, self-aware ironic T-shirts. ❋ Unknown (2009)

He didn’t [look] too clever after he’d had that [spliff] ❋ Spuffa (2005)

Computer that made in Korea is very small and have various [funtion]
Their [cellular] phone is so nice that can call [to friend] in other country. ❋ Chan Hun (2003)

«Did you see [whatshername] [the other night]?…She was so [fucking] clever» ❋ Tibmaster (2006)

[im] [a good] clever ❋ Josh Ruff (2003)

»man he’s [really] [clever]![»] ❋ Sweet Jesus (2006)

[Anon] did a clever when he [stabbed] his arm when pulled over by the cops for [drunk driving]. ❋ AllIsernamesTkn (2017)

Kanadali [Esek]: «everyone is a bitch grow some balls»
[Big Turk] Cem: «EVERYONE FUCK OFF, [BE CLEVER]!!!!» ❋ TamerTurkKibris (2011)

[Henrietta]: A thought just crossed my mind…
[Bennifer]: It [must’ve] been a long and lonely journey.
Henrietta (sarcastically): Clever. ❋ Fourhand451 (2010)

Noob: So guys, what are you doing today?
Bro: Your mom.
[Troll]: [Herp], bro you’re cleverity is showing, [derp]. ❋ Anjo Banjo (2011)

That guy is so cleverful… always [getting in] dumb [situations] because of his [smart mouth]. ❋ 0cano (2017)

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Jannie Breitenberg

Score: 4.5/5
(45 votes)

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.

What does it mean when someone says clever?

adjective. Someone who is clever is intelligent and able to understand things easily or plan things well.

Is being called clever a compliment?

clever Add to list Share. 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.

Is clever the same as smart?

In the U.S., clever usually implies a certain amount of ingenuity, while smart implies general intelligence or knowledge. There is a feeling of lightness to clever; it is usually used for «little» things like a quick wit in conversation.

What makes a person clever?

«A highly intelligent person is one who is flexible in their thinking and can adapt to changes, they think before they speak or act, and they’re able to effectively manage their emotions,» Dr. … You may possess other qualities that show off your intelligence, like having the ability to easily connect with others.

30 related questions found

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)

1. 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,

2. Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.
3. 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.

4. Skilled at achieving what one wants, especially via unusual methods.

   With a clever lawyer, she could easily be acquitted.

5. 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.

6. (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.

7. (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.

8. (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.

9. (obsolete) Well-shaped; handsome.
10. (US, dated) Good-natured; obliging.
11. (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]

Further reading[edit]

“clever”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• clever in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “clever”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• clever at OneLook Dictionary Search

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)

1. clever

Declension[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• “clever” in Duden online
• “clever” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

clever

1. Alternative form of clevere

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The great help of being in the Army is to understand why are the armies clever in what they describe as emotional intelligence, making soldiers come to terms with the death of comrades by certain rituals.

Antony Beevor

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CLEVER

Cliver (quick to seize, adroit), of uncertain origin.

PRONUNCIATION OF CLEVER

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CLEVER

Clever is an adjective.

WHAT DOES CLEVER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of clever in the English dictionary

The first definition of clever in the dictionary is displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness. Other definition of clever is adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands. Clever is also smart in a superficial way.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CLEVER

SYNONYMS OF «CLEVER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «clever» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF CLEVER

Find out the translation of clever to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CLEVER»

The term «clever» is very widely used and occupies the 9.535 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of clever

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CLEVER» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «CLEVER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word clever.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CLEVER»

Discover the use of clever in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to clever and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CLEVER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term clever is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Clever [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/clever>. Apr 2023 ».