clever

American  

[klev-er] / ˈklɛv ər /

adjective

• cleverer,
  comparative
• cleverest
  superlative

1. mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.

   Synonyms:

   expert, apt, gifted, smart, quick-witted, talented, ingenious

   Antonyms:

   stupid

2. superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile.

   It was an amusing, clever play, but of no lasting value.

3. showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious.

   His clever device was the first to solve the problem.

4. adroit with the hands or body; dexterous or nimble.

   Synonyms:

   handy, agile, skillful

   Antonyms:

   clumsy

5. Older Use.

   1. suitable; convenient; satisfactory.

   2. good-natured.

   3. handsome.

   4. in good health.

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clever British  

/ ˈklɛvə /

adjective

1. displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness

2. adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands

3. smart in a superficial way

4. informal sly; cunning

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cleverness
  noun
• overcleverness
  noun
• uncleverness
  noun
• cleverish
  adjective
• overclever
  adjective
• unclever
  adjective
• cleverishly
  adverb
• cleverly
  adverb
• overcleverly
  adverb
• uncleverly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• cleverer
  comparative
• cleverest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of clever

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cliver, perhaps from Old English clifer “claw,” clife “burdock,” or akin to East Frisian klüfer “skillful, agile, alert”; see cleavers, cleft ¹, clove ²

Explanation

Clever may seem like a compliment, but this adjective boasts a rather broad range of meanings—from "intelligent" and "imaginative" to "calculating" or "contrived." The roots of the word clever, are unknown. It was in use colloquially long before it entered the literary record, and this may be a factor in the word's enduring suppleness. The earliest written examples of clever convey the idea of dexterity — that is, the term was used to describe someone who was good with his hands. Now, clever still means "agile" or "adroit," but it refers to mental, rather than physical, skill. Clever can also be used to describe the products of a nimble mind, such as a "clever scheme" or a "clever device."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clever cleverer cleverest

After treks to downtown L.A.’s Fashion District to find just the right materials, she’ll mock up clever riffs on julienned ginger and cilantro leaves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

It also threads throughout a few clever nods to Bob Dylan, though how that element fits into the whole I’ve yet to fully figure out—just the kind of lingering headscratcher this festival excels at.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

In a film full of contrived indignities, this is the most maddening, suggesting that anyone watching the film is no more clever than the “Fossil Fools” audience members.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Townfall is a brutal, grim journey - uneven in parts, but clever - and full of immense tension and inventive game design, the kind that is needed to push a nearly 30-year-old franchise forward.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

“Whoops, silly me, running off at the mouth! Of course she’s all right—there’s no one more brave and clever than our Lumawoo, is there, children? I’m sure she’s managing just fine.”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

One Year 3 pupil said the library was vital because it helped him with his spelling, while another added: "When I read books, I will now know things and I'll be cleverer than everyone."

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2024

"Instead it did something even cleverer — it brought together existing genes, which already do other things in different parts of the plant, to make a complicated spot on the petals that deceives male flies."

From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2023

“Who could say what sorts of patterns might give away users who thought they were cleverer than those watching them?”

From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2022

“You are much the cleverer of the two,” she tells Sheila, “and because of that I prophesy that you will be the one to give in.”

From New York Times ● Nov. 24, 2022

All the animals nodded in complete agreement, and the cleverer ones at once began to learn the Commandments by heart.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

"He was the cleverest, funniest, loving person. His life has just been cut too short too soon."

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

One night, the five decide to bestow their honorific on Ticky, whom they consider “the cleverest of us all because you can tell the exact time without looking at a clock.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Ally and Jay’s rom-com caricature is the cleverest subplot in the movie — the pair are heightened Hallmark Channel ingenues who like fiddly coffee orders, coordinated plaids and the same shade of taupe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2025

They snap up the cleverest and most devious communicators to craft their messages, offering salaries no one else can afford.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2024

He and the other boys, the group he lived with, would be wrestling and joking, vying to be cleverest, or strongest, as they made their way together to or from the schoolhouse.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry