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

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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

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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

The former James Bond actor credits screenwriter Jez Butterworth for the "orchestration" of his "clever" plot development.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The sequence has some clever gags, but you’re distracted by the awareness of being narratively underwhelmed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

WSJ | Buy Side: This sleek, refillable lighter combines classy design and a clever lighting mechanism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

"It is clever, satirical humour which makes the country, and many of us look foolish, and that's no bad thing," Sir Jacob posted on his social media.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Mizuho Financial Group, for some reason that would remain known only to itself, set itself up as a clever trader of U.S. subprime bonds, and took $1 billion in subprime-backed CDOs off Morgan Stanley’s hands.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

"People much cleverer than me will say that the wage bill follows the league position, but I can't think that way," said the Newcastle boss.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

But Isla understands, and we understand, that whatever she doesn’t know yet, she’s cleverer than the doubters give her credit for.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025

Between the 1920s and World War II, illustrators and designers slashed bands of color across advertisements to tempt consumers with ever faster modes of travel and cleverer machinery.

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2023

"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

“If I’d been a bit cleverer, I’d have told everyone what you are!”

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

The cleverest among the group, on paper at least, Fry found the heat being turned up on her as the day rolled on.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

“By combining the judgment of millions of people,” he writes, “the bond market is the world’s cleverest economist, its best political analyst, its most prescient corporate strategist, and its finest scientist.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

The cleverest mystery is no better than its characters and, when it’s made for the screen, the actors who play them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025

The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals.

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

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