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

I thought this costume was funny, clever, appropriating and reclaiming the narrative that haunted me all my life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

The minutiae are the key to freeing oneself from Mungiu’s clever trap.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Don’t get lured into a clever, obscure get-rich-quick scheme sold to you by a plausible-sounding con artist.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

The phrase “pacing the frontier” is so clever as to be close to demonic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

And I couldn’t help but smile, imagining what a thrill it would be for the lucky detective who got to dress up in one of Mr. Bangs’s clever disguises and portray the wandering book peddler.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

When asked 'are you worried that Chris Sutton is cleverer than you?'

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025

"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

Could it be that Snail was trying to prove that he was cleverer than he?

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith

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

Mack Hansen - bubbly, busy and intelligent - and Lowe - one of the most influential and cleverest wings in world rugby.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025

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

As fantastical as “Doctor Who” can get, the cleverest being in the universe always has an explanation for everything.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2023

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