shrewd

[ shrood ]
See synonyms for: shrewdshrewdestshrewdlyshrewdness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,shrewd·er, shrewd·est.
  1. having or showing astute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise: a shrewd businessman.

  2. cunning or tricky; artful.

  1. keen; piercing: shrewd pain.

  2. Archaic. mischievous; naughty.

  3. Obsolete. malicious or evil; bad.

  4. Obsolete. shrewish.

Origin of shrewd

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English shrewed, in part representing shrew1 + -ed3 (cf. dogged1, wicked); in part probably past participle of shrewen “to curse,” verb use of shrew1 (see -ed2)

synonym study For shrewd

1. See acute.

Other words for shrewd

Other words from shrewd

  • shrewd·ly, adverb
  • shrewd·ness, noun
  • un·shrewd, adjective
  • un·shrewd·ly, adverb

Words Nearby shrewd

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How to use shrewd in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shrewd

shrewd

/ (ʃruːd) /


adjective
  1. astute and penetrating, often with regard to business

  2. artful and crafty: a shrewd politician

  1. obsolete

    • piercing: a shrewd wind

    • spiteful

Origin of shrewd

1
C14: from shrew (obsolete vb) to curse, from shrew

Derived forms of shrewd

  • shrewdly, adverb
  • shrewdness, 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