clever

[ klev-er ]

/ ˈklɛv ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clever ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, clev·er·er, clev·er·est.

mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.

superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile: It was an amusing, clever play, but of no lasting value.

showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious: His clever device was the first to solve the problem.

adroit with the hands or body; dexterous or nimble.

Older Use.

suitable; convenient; satisfactory.
good-natured.
handsome.
in good health.

Nearby words

cleveland, cleveland bay, cleveland heights, cleveland, grover, cleveland, john, clever, clever dick, clever-clever, cleverly, cleves, clevis

Origin of clever

1175–1225; Middle English cliver, akin to Old English clifer claw, clife burdock. See cleavers

SYNONYMS FOR clever

1 ingenious, talented, quick-witted; smart, gifted; apt, expert.

4 skillful, agile, handy.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clever ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR clever

1 stupid.

4 clumsy.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR clever ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

clev·er·ish, adjectiveclev·er·ish·ly, adverbclev·er·ly, adverbclev·er·ness, noun

o·ver·clev·er, adjectiveo·ver·clev·er·ly, adverbo·ver·clev·er·ness, nounun·clev·er, adjectiveun·clev·er·ly, adverbun·clev·er·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for clever

Few of us are as clever as my Inspector Morse-loving friend.
The Refuseniks Hiding From ‘Happy New Year’|Lizzie Crocker|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The clever part is that the present was “re-gifted” from city and state tax revenues.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The clever crooks managed to rack up $2 million in profits over a year, Ares said.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He wants to show her how clever he is and, more importantly, how well the script is going, that there is hope, a future.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The small band of French critics helped shift the view of Hitchcock from a clever, popular entertainer to a Significant Artist.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dimber-damber, very pretty; a clever rogue who excels his fellows; chief of a gang.
The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten
To be sure, the clever, hot-blooded little woman had held herself aloof from the crew's jaunts.
The Song of Songs|Hermann Sudermann
And then the continual effort to degrade the Mass, to rob it of its mystery and holy character—it's clever, it's subtle.
A Lost Cause|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
Her voice suddenly took on the tone of seeming frankness that is the clever woman's best weapon.
The Gambler|Katherine Cecil Thurston
Virtue indeed he regarded simply as a trick by which clever hypocrites imposed upon fools.
History of the English People, Volume VI (of 8)|John Richard Green

British Dictionary definitions for clever

clever

/ (ˈklɛvə) /

adjective

displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness

adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands

smart in a superficial way

British informal sly; cunning

(predicative; used with a negative) dialect healthy; fit

Derived Formscleverish, adjectivecleverly, adverbcleverness, noun

Word Origin for clever

C13 cliver (in the sense: quick to seize, adroit), of uncertain origin

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

clever

adjective, clev·er·er, clev·er·est.

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Nearby words

Origin of clever

Examples from the Web for clever

British Dictionary definitions for clever

clever

adjective

Word Origin for clever