Synonyms for clever
ˈklɛv ərclever

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. cleveradjective

   Synonyms:
   quick-witted, sharp-witted

   Antonyms:
   dull, stupid

2. cleveradjective

   Antonyms:
   naive, ineffectual

3. cleveradjective

   Antonyms:
   clumsy

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.

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

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

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

1. clever

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

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

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms: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"

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

   Antonyms:
   unintelligent, stupid, maladroit

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

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

   Antonyms:
   stupid, unintelligent, maladroit

3. clever, cunning, ingeniousadjective

   showing inventiveness and skill

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

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

   Antonyms:
   stupid, maladroit, unintelligent

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. smart

   to understand quickly.

   he is so smart

   Submitted by anonymous on September 22, 2020  

2. anansi

   Submitted by anonymous on November 19, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. cleveradjective

   Synonyms:
   dexterous, skilful, apt, handy, ready, quick, smart, expert, able

2. cleveradjective

   Synonyms:
   [U. S.] kind, benign, amiable, obliging, accommodating, well-meaning, well-disposed, good-natured, kind-hearted

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cleveradjective

   Synonyms:
   adroit, skillful, expert, ingenious, deft, dexterous

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "clever":

   smart, intelligent, ingenious, astute, malin, wise, cunning, skilful, malignant, shrewd, crafty, bright, resourceful, slim, adept, artful, sensible, brilliant, skillful

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How to use clever in a sentence?

1. Michael Evans:

   That was a complete scam and fraud, it was a very clever, deceptive plan by Islamic radicals.

2. Prince Harry:

   I didn’t see that as being a staged thing. I thought it was entirely spontaneous and clever in making the two brothers talk to each other, it was a deft move that shows the Duchess is not overawed by all that’s going on.

3. Governance James Wallner:

   Her initial ruling was that this could work, now, the Republicans have a clever way to get around that by saying, well, you can’t get a budget our of the Budget Committee because we're not going to vote for it, there won't be a tie vote… and therefore, pursuant to the rules worked out at the beginning of the Congress, you can't start that discharge procedure.

4. Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

   I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry that is prose words in their best order-poetry the best words in the best order.

5. 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.