canny

[ kan-ee ]
See synonyms for: cannycanniness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,can·ni·er, can·ni·est.
  1. careful; cautious; prudent: a canny reply.

  2. astute; shrewd; knowing; sagacious: a canny negotiator.

  1. frugal; thrifty: a canny housewife.

  2. Scot.

    • safe to deal with, invest in, or work at (usually used with a negative).

    • gentle; careful; steady.

    • snug; cozy; comfortable.

    • pleasing; attractive.

    • Archaic. having supernatural or occult powers.

adverbAlso can·ni·ly.
  1. in a canny manner.

  2. Scot. carefully; cautiously.

Origin of canny

1
First recorded in 1580–90; can1 + -y1

Other words from canny

  • can·ni·ness, noun
  • o·ver·can·ny, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use canny in a sentence

  • Circle cannily round the horse to the left; here at last is something like a slope.

  • "You've managed to get a good deal of it without looking for it, then," retorted the superintendent cannily.

    The Shrieking Pit | Arthur J. Rees
  • Could he afford to play the safe game and wait until the building capital should be cannily in Mr. Magnus' bank vaults?

    Empire Builders | Francis Lynde

British Dictionary definitions for canny

canny

/ (ˈkænɪ) /


adjective-nier or -niest
  1. shrewd, esp in business; astute or wary; knowing

  2. Scot and Northeast English dialect good or nice: used as a general term of approval

  1. Scot lucky or fortunate

adverb
  1. Scot and Northeast English dialect quite; rather: a canny long while

Origin of canny

1
C16: from can 1 (in the sense: to know how) + -y 1

Derived forms of canny

  • cannily, adverb
  • canniness, noun

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