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

Prosecuting, Gordon Menzies said: "It's reasonably practicable for clever people to do a simple thing and design a window that doesn't fall out once every year."

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

It’s a clever and nasty bit of social engineering — a bait and switch that preys on people’s curiosity and the simple pleasure of feeling included.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

"People delude themselves that the human race is so clever that we'll come up with some wonderful technology that'll make this all go away."

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Cretton is the rare former indie filmmaker who pushes himself to stage clever action sequences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Even if her scholar was not quite so handsome, or her merchant not quite so clever, at least the winds would still turn her way.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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

"They are learning, they are getting cleverer, and it really freaks me out," says Dwarf.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 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

When I told this to Father he said that Terry was jealous of my being cleverer than him.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

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

Leave it to Hollywood’s writers, now striking, to have the cleverest signs: “HBO Max Pays HBO Minimum,” reads one.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 6, 2023

“I hate to beat Kurtsinger,” Woolf said, “the cleverest jockey I ever competed against.”

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand