shrewd

[ shrood ]
/ ʃrud /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR shrewd ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Question 1 of 10
advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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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)

OTHER WORDS FROM shrewd

Words nearby shrewd

shredder, shredding, shreveport, shrew, shrew mole, shrewd, shrewdie, shrewish, shrewmouse, shrewsbury, shri
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to shrewdness

acumen, sharpness, intelligence, cleverness, perspicacity, judgment

Example sentences from the Web for shrewdness

British Dictionary definitions for shrewdness

shrewd
/ (ʃruːd) /

adjective

astute and penetrating, often with regard to business
artful and craftya shrewd politician
obsolete
  1. piercinga shrewd wind
  2. spiteful

Derived forms of shrewd

shrewdly, 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