savvy
Americanadjective
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
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to understand or get the sense of (an idea, etc)
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I don't (he doesn't, etc) understand
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have savviedperfect
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has savviedperfect 3rd person singular
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savvyingparticiple
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has been savvyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been savvyingperfect progressive
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are savvyingprogressive
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savviessingular 3rd person
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am savvyingprogressive 1st person singular
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is savvyingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had savviedperfect
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were savvyingprogressive plural
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had been savvyingperfect progressive
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was savvyingprogressive singular
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savviedsimple
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savviedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of savvy
First recorded in 1775–85; from Spanish sabe, 3rd-person singular present of saber “to know,” from Latin sapere “to be wise, taste”; see sapient
Explanation
You are known as someone with a lot of business savvy, but only because you've managed to keep your staggering debts a secret. Which is actually pretty savvy. Someone who is savvy is shrewd and perceptive. Most English words stem directly from other European languages, like French and Latin. Not savvy. It comes from the West Indies, a twist on the French savez vous? — “Do you know?” Savvy was first recorded in its adjective form in 1905. Synonyms for the noun form include acumen, discernment, grasp, perception, and sharpness.
Vocabulary lists containing savvy
This Week in Words: August 11 - 17, 2018
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The Things They Carried
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its investors now include Jane Street, the savvy quant-trading firm that ranks among Wall Street’s most profitable, some of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Pratt’s celebrity, along with his media savvy and message, transformed the contest into a national story.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
To help make grocery trips a bit easier, I consulted the savvy shoppers on the r/budgetfood subreddit.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
Over the many years that Hamilton Lane has invested in secondaries, Hirsch says about 70% of its returns have come from asset appreciation, with the remaining 30% coming from savvy buying.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
It’s because he possessed the kind of savvy that allowed him to get what he wanted from the world.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
