cunning

American  

[kuhn-ing] / ˈkʌn ɪŋ /

noun

1. skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile.

   Synonyms:

   deception, intrigue, trickery

2. adeptness in performance; dexterity.

   The weaver's hand had not lost its cunning.

   Synonyms:

   agility, adroitness

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adjective

1. showing or made with ingenuity.

   Synonyms:

   skillful, ingenious

2. artfully subtle or shrewd; crafty; sly.

   Synonyms:

   foxy, tricky, wily, artful

3. Informal. charmingly cute or appealing.

   a cunning little baby.

4. Archaic. skillful; expert.

verb

1. Obsolete. present participle of can.

cunning British  

/ ˈkʌnɪŋ /

adjective

1. crafty and shrewd, esp in deception; sly

   cunning as a fox

2. made with or showing skill or cleverness; ingenious

---

noun

1. craftiness, esp in deceiving; slyness

2. cleverness, skill, or ingenuity

Related Words

Cunning, artifice, craft imply an inclination toward deceit, slyness, and trickery. Cunning implies a shrewd, often instinctive skill in concealing or disguising the real purposes of one's actions: not intelligence but a low kind of cunning. An artifice is a clever, unscrupulous ruse, used to mislead others: a successful artifice to conceal one's motives. Craft suggests underhand methods and the use of deceptive devices and tricks to attain one's ends: craft and deceitfulness in every act.

Other Word Forms

• cunningly adverb
• cunningness noun
• overcunning adjective
• overcunningness noun
• quasi-cunning adjective

Etymology

Origin of cunning

First recorded in 1275–1325; (noun) Middle English; Old English cunnung, equivalent to cunn(an) “to know” ( can ¹ ) + -ung -ing ¹; (adjective, verb) Middle English, present participle of cunnan “to know” ( can ¹, -ing ² )

Example Sentences

But at least for now, it looks as if the cunning field marshal has decisively outplayed the flamboyant former cricketer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Known as "the crocodile" because of his political cunning, his final five-year term is due to expire in 2028.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

As Thia tries to complete the mission she failed alongside her synthetic sister, Fanning relishes the chance to play the far more violent and cunning counterpart, Tessa.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

Tagawa became one of Hollywood’s most reliable character actors, typically cast as the elegant and cunning villain.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Like Dasch, Burger noticed that Haupt was "cunning."

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple