shrewd [shrood] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for shrewd on Thesaurus.com adjective, shrewd·er, shrewd·est.
- astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician.
- keen; piercing.
- artful(def 1).
- Archaic. malicious.
- Obsolete. bad1.
- Obsolete. shrewish.
Origin of shrewd 1275–1325; Middle English shrewed, in part representing shrew1 + -ed3 (cf. dogged1, wicked); in part probably past participle of shrewen to curse, v. use of shrew1 (see -ed2)Related formsshrewd·ly, adverbshrewd·ness, nounun·shrewd, adjectiveun·shrewd·ly, adverbun·shrewd·ness, nounSynonyms for shrewd See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com 1. quick, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, keen; discriminating, intelligent. See acute. Related Words for shrewd ingenious, sensible, penetrating, wise, sly, keen, farsighted, slick, judicious, perceptive, cagey, astute, canny, sharp, prudent, probing, crafty, smart, wily, acute Examples from the Web for shrewd Contemporary Examples of shrewd
The deviating family melodrama has, thankfully, been replaced by shrewd spycraft.
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As someone with a shrewd eye for the absurd, it is entirely possible somewhere Joan Rivers is smiling right now.
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It stands to reason that nowadays, to do the latter would be shrewd indeed.
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According to tradition, the typical Yankee peddler was thought to be so shrewd that he could carve and sell counterfeit nutmegs.
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Stefan Beck
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They listen to their shrewd father, Tywin Lannister, smear their dead son in front of his corpse.
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Historical Examples of shrewd
Christine was not over-intelligent, perhaps, but she was shrewd.
Mary Roberts Rinehart
One was an elderly savage, with a wrinkled, shrewd countenance.
Stewart Edward White
England had been shrewd enough to guarantee them their domains and revenues.
Harold Frederic
Some of his sayings were shrewd and sharp; but he was sometimes aggressive.
J. Munro
Oh, shrewd people, Mr Clennam: evidently people of business!
Charles Dickens
British Dictionary definitions for shrewd shrewd adjective
- astute and penetrating, often with regard to business
- artful and craftya shrewd politician
- obsolete
- piercinga shrewd wind
- spiteful
Derived Formsshrewdly, adverbshrewdness, nounWord Origin for shrewd C14: from shrew (obsolete vb) to curse, from shrew Word Origin and History for shrewd adj.
c.1300, “wicked, evil,” from shrewe “wicked man” (see shrew). Cf. crabbed from crab (n.), dogged from dog (n.), wicked from witch (n.). The sense of “cunning” is first recorded 1510s. Related: Shrewdly; shrewdness. Strutt’s “Sports and Pastimes of the People of England” (1801) has a shrewdness of apes for a company or group of them. Shrewdie “cunning person” is from 1916.