shrewd
Americanadjective
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having or showing astute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise.
a shrewd businessman.
- Synonyms:
- intelligent, discriminating, keen, sagacious, perspicacious, perceptive, discerning, quick
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cunning or tricky; artful.
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shrewd pain.
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Archaic. mischievous; naughty.
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Obsolete. malicious or evil; bad.
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Obsolete. shrewish.
adjective
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astute and penetrating, often with regard to business
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artful and crafty
a shrewd politician
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obsolete
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piercing
a shrewd wind
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spiteful
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Related Words
See acute.
Other Word Forms
- shrewdly adverb
- shrewdness noun
- unshrewd adjective
- unshrewdly adverb
Etymology
Origin of shrewd
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English shrewed, in part representing shrew 1 + -ed 3 ( dogged 1, wicked ); in part probably past participle of shrewen “to curse,” verb use of shrew 1 ( -ed 2 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Frank's appointment in June was welcomed at the time as a shrewd move.
From BBC
His methods were shrewd—“Working with Mother Nature, instead of against her,” Bamberger liked to say—but also, when necessary, backed by staggering capital investments from the fortune he had amassed as a fast-food tycoon.
Ukraine's delegation will be headed by Security Council chief Rustem Umerov, a shrewd negotiator hailed by colleagues as a worker of diplomatic "wonders".
From Barron's
When we see performances like this, especially in movies where we might not anticipate them, it’s a shrewd reminder that we can never be too sure what we’ll get when we go to the theater.
From Salon
Klein Halevi is one of the shrewdest and most thoughtful analysts of Israeli politics and society.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
