shrewd
Other forms: shrewdest; shrewder
If you are shrewd in your spending, you can make a small salary go a long way. Use the adjective shrewd to describe a person or thing that is smart or clever in a practical sort of way.
The word shrewd is from a Middle English adjective formed from the noun schrewe, "an evil person, a villain." This Middle English noun is an earlier form of our modern English word shrew. So shrewd and shrew are related to each other. Shrewd doesn't usually have a disapproving or negative tone, but shrew certainly does.
-
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
-
(used of persons) good at tricking people to get somethingsynonyms: calculating, calculative, conniving, schemingharddispassionate
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing shrewd
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
Investigate these words from Agatha Christie's masterpiece to figure out why it's the world's best-selling mystery novel.
Tired of their constant bickering, Beatrice and Benedick's friends hatch a plan to get the two to fall in love. Learn these words from Shakespeare's comedy about fidelity and deception. Read the full text here.