shrewd

[shrood]

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adjective, shrewd·er, shrewd·est.

astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician.

keen; piercing.

artful(def 1).

Archaic. malicious.

Obsolete. bad¹.

Obsolete. shrewish.

Origin of shrewd

1275–1325; Middle English shrewed, in part representing shrew¹ + -ed³ (cf. dogged¹, wicked); in part probably past participle of shrewen to curse, v. use of shrew¹ (see -ed²)

Related formsshrewd·ly, adverbshrewd·ness, nounun·shrewd, adjectiveun·shrewd·ly, adverbun·shrewd·ness, noun

Synonyms for shrewd

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1. quick, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, keen; discriminating, intelligent. See acute.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for shrewdest

ingenious, sensible, penetrating, wise, sly, keen, farsighted, slick, judicious, perceptive, cagey, astute, canny, sharp, prudent, probing, crafty, smart, wily, acute

Examples from the Web for shrewdest

Contemporary Examples of shrewdest

The shrewdest mind to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetime still has one of the most impressive hard drives around.
Bill Clinton Warns About Supreme Court Ruling Against Obamacare
Gail Sheehy
June 25, 2012
And, in one of the shrewdest personnel moves of his career, he appointed General George Marshall as secretary of State.
What Obama Can Learn From Truman
Joshua Robinson
January 1, 2011
Not for nothing have critics and admirers alike described Obama as among the shrewdest politicians in a long time.
Barack 'N' Roll
William Triplett
January 19, 2009

Historical Examples of shrewdest

I consider him to have possessed the shrewdest insight into character.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
The fox is the synonym of cunning, and will often outwit the shrewdest trapper.
The Hunters of the Ozark
Edward S. Ellis
But Indians have one peculiarity that will baffle even the shrewdest Jew.
Pocket Island
Charles Clark Munn
But by far the shrewdest blow to the Italianists was Wilson's Declaration.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 2
Henry Baerlein
Trade or talk of history with him, and he was found to be one of the shrewdest of men.
Stories Of Georgia
Joel Chandler Harris

British Dictionary definitions for shrewdest

shrewd

adjective

astute and penetrating, often with regard to business

artful and craftya shrewd politician

obsolete

piercinga shrewd wind
spiteful

Derived Formsshrewdly, adverbshrewdness, noun

Word Origin for shrewd

C14: from shrew (obsolete vb) to curse, from shrew

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for shrewdest

shrewd

adj.

c.1300, "wicked, evil," from shrewe "wicked man" (see shrew). Cf. crabbed from crab (n.), dogged from dog (n.), wicked from witch (n.). The sense of "cunning" is first recorded 1510s. Related: Shrewdly; shrewdness. Strutt's "Sports and Pastimes of the People of England" (1801) has a shrewdness of apes for a company or group of them. Shrewdie "cunning person" is from 1916.