clever

Study(22)

UK /ˈklɛv.ə/ US /ˈklɛv.ɚ/

adj 5name 1

Collocations

(adj.) intelligent/skilful

VERBS

be, seem, sound

ADV

awfully, extraordinarily, extremely, incredibly, really, very | pretty, quite, rather

PREP

My older brother is really clever at fixing broken things around the house.

with

My sister is clever with money and always finds ways to save for her goals.

PHRASES

too clever by half

She's too clever by half, always trying to outsmart everyone in the room.

too clever for your own good

(adj.) (of a thing) ingenious

VERBS

ADV

extremely, fiendishly, really, very

She came up with a really clever way to organize all her files on her computer.

quite, rather

Definitions

adj

Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.

My dad is quite clever with his hands, especially at carpentry.

a. 1898, Francis James Child (collator), Child's Ballads, 198: "Bonny John Seton", The Highland men, they're clever men At handling sword and shield,

Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.

The cleverest and most prolific inventors, such as Reiner Knizia (who lives in England) are nerdy superstars. Euro (also “German-style”) games must not be confused with “Ameritrash” games, which generally involve high drama and employ plastic pieces, though arguing over what the difference is seems to be gamers' second-favourite pastime.

Mentally quick and resourceful; skilled at achieving what one wants in a mentally agile and inventive way.

clever like a fox

With a clever lawyer, she could easily be acquitted.

Smart, intelligent, or witty; mentally quick or sharp.

And so make life, death, and that vast forever / One grand, sweet song.

Lord Macaulay has said of Bunyan: “though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds. One of these minds produced ‘The Paradise Lost;’ the other, ‘The Pilgrim's Progress.’”

Sane; in one's right mind.

He was not clever, poor fellow, he did not know what questions to ask; he asked the same questions again and again. He continued to show his own troubled thoughts, and the vague dread in his mind, […]

name

A city in Missouri.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — showing inventiveness and skill

adjective — showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

adjective — mentally quick and resourceful

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

box clever

To act wisely.

too clever by half

Shrewd but flawed by overthinking or excessive complexity, with a resulting tendency to be unreliable or unsuccessful.

[H]e had a damnable suppleness and a gift of immediate response, a readiness to oblige, that made him seem to take up causes which he really left lying, enabled him to learn enough

as clever as a cartload of monkeys

Very clever, cunning or mischievous.

Example Bank

My dad is quite clever with his hands, especially at carpentry.

Wiktionary

a. 1898, Francis James Child (collator), Child's Ballads, 198: "Bonny John Seton", The Highland men, they're clever men At handling sword and shield,

Wiktionary

You are too clever not to solve the hard problem.

Tatoeba · #15880

He was far from clever in his school days.

Tatoeba · #21344

He is a clever boy, to be sure.

Tatoeba · #21693

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, clever is marked as archaic. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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