canny

American  

[kan-ee] / ˈkæn i /

adjective

cannier, canniest

1. careful; cautious; prudent.

   a canny reply.

2. astute; shrewd; knowing; sagacious.

   a canny negotiator.

3. skilled; expert.

4. frugal; thrifty.

   a canny housewife.

5. Scot.

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

   2. gentle; careful; steady.

   3. snug; cozy; comfortable.

   4. pleasing; attractive.

   5. Archaic. having supernatural or occult powers.

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adverb

1. in a canny manner.

2. Scot. carefully; cautiously.

canny British  

/ ˈkænɪ /

adjective

1. shrewd, esp in business; astute or wary; knowing

2. dialect good or nice: used as a general term of approval

3. lucky or fortunate

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adverb

1. dialect quite; rather

   a canny long while

Other Word Forms

• cannily adverb
• canniness noun
• overcanny adjective

Etymology

Origin of canny

First recorded in 1580–90; can ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Probing further, the critic hears, beneath the brazenness, a canny control in the singer’s voice that “tells us more than the words it delivers.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s understood in Ireland as a canny political operator who led his boring center-right party, Fianna Fáil, back to power after a decade in the wilderness.

From Salon

"Larijani is a true insider, a canny operator, familiar with how the system operates," Ali Vaez, the International Crisis Group's project director for Iran, said before the Middle East war began.

From Barron's

He has also homed in on a canny, powerful message that could prove to have wider appeal than O’Rourke’s.

From Salon

"Larijani is a true insider, a canny operator, familiar with how the system operates and familiar with the supreme leader's inclinations."

From Barron's

Related Words

• adroit
• astute
• cagey
• cautious
• discreet
• frugal
• ingenious
• intelligent
• judicious
• prudent
• shrewd
• skillful
• sly
• subtle
• wise