cunning

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cun·ning

(kŭn′ĭng)

adj.

1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.

2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.

3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.

1. Skill in deception; guile.

2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.

[Middle English, present participle of connen, to know, from Old English cunnan; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]

cun′ning·ly adv.

cun′ning·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cunning

(ˈkʌnɪŋ)

adj

1. crafty and shrewd, esp in deception; sly: cunning as a fox.

2. made with or showing skill or cleverness; ingenious

3. craftiness, esp in deceiving; slyness

4. cleverness, skill, or ingenuity

[Old English cunnende; related to cunnan to know (see can¹), cunnian to test, experience, Old Norse kunna to know]

ˈcunningly adv

ˈcunningness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cun•ning

(ˈkʌn ɪŋ)

n.

1. skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile.

2. adeptness in performance; dexterity: The weaver's hand lost its cunning.

adj.

3. showing or made with ingenuity.

4. artfully subtle or shrewd; crafty; sly.

5. charmingly cute or appealing: a cunning little baby.

6. Archaic. skillful; expert.

[1275–1325; (n.) Middle English; Old English cunnung=cunn(an) to know (see can¹) + -ung -ing¹; (adj.) Middle English, present participle of cunnan to know]

cun′ning•ly, adv.

cun′ning•ness, n.

Cunning

callidity

Rare. skill or craftiness. — callid, adj.

jesuitism

crafty or deceitful practice. — jesuitic, jesuitical, adj.

jiggery-pokery

subterfuge or devious and underhanded behavior; low cunning.

oneupmanship

the art or process of gaining the advantage in situations by means of crafty or ingenious ploys.

tergiversation

1. the act or process of subterfuge or evasion.
2. the abandoning of a cause or belief; apostasy. — tergiversator, n.

vulpinism

Rare. the state or quality of being foxlike, especially crafty or cunning. — vulpine, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	cunning - shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception craftiness, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness, craft astuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdness - intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)
	2.	cunning - crafty artfulness (especially in deception) artfulness - the quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage
Adj.	1.	cunning - attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness; "a cute kid with pigtails"; "a cute little apartment"; "cunning kittens"; "a cunning baby" cute attractive - pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm; "a remarkably attractive young man"; "an attractive personality"; "attractive clothes"; "a book with attractive illustrations"
	2.	cunning - marked by skill in deception; "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney" foxy, guileful, knavish, crafty, sly, tricksy, wily, dodgy, tricky, slick artful - marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"
	3.	cunning - showing inventiveness and skill; "a clever gadget"; "the cunning maneuvers leading to his success"; "an ingenious solution to the problem" ingenious, clever adroit - quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; "an exceptionally adroit pianist"; "an adroit technician"; "his adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers"; "an adroit negotiator"

cunning

adjective

1. crafty, sly, devious, artful, sharp, subtle, tricky, shrewd, astute, canny, wily, Machiavellian, shifty, foxy, guileful He's a cunning, devious, good-for-nothing so-and-so.
crafty frank, ethical, honest, artless, ingenuous

2. ingenious, subtle, imaginative, shrewd, sly, astute, devious, artful, Machiavellian I came up with a cunning plan.

3. skilful, clever, deft, adroit, dexterous The artist's cunning use of light and shadow creates perspective.
skilful clumsy, maladroit

noun

1. craftiness, guile, trickery, shrewdness, deviousness, artfulness, slyness, wiliness, foxiness an example of the cunning of modern art thieves
craftiness sincerity, candour, ingenuousness

2. skill, art, ability, craft, subtlety, ingenuity, finesse, artifice, dexterity, cleverness, deftness, astuteness, adroitness He tackled the problem with skill and cunning.
skill clumsiness

Quotations
"Cunning is the dark sanctuary of incapacity" [Lord Chesterfield Letters...to his Godson and Successor]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

cunning

adjective

Deceitfully clever:

artful, crafty, foxy, guileful, scheming, sharp, sly, tricky, wily.

noun

1. Deceitful cleverness:

art, artfulness, artifice, craft, craftiness, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness.

2. The act or practice of deceiving:

deceit, deceitfulness, deception, double-dealing, duplicity, guile, shiftiness.

Translations

ماكِرمُحْتال، ماكِرمَكْر، دهاء، بَراعه، احتيالمُنَفَّذ بِبَراعه، ذكي، بارِع

chytrýmazanostmazanýprohnanostrafinovaný

snusnuhedudspekuleretkloglist

gerissen schlau Gerissenheit klug Klugheit

πανούργος

astuto bellaco malicia astucia

ovelataitavataitavuuskiero

ruse rusé astucieux fourberie malin

lukav

alattomoscsalafintacselesdörzsöltravasz

kænskakunnáttusamlegur; kænnlúmskur

furbo furberia furbesco furbizia abile

狡猾な

교활한

callidus

apgaulingasišradingas

apķērīgsgudrsviltībaviltīgs

bedreven handig list listig sluw

listig snedighet

przebiegły

astuto

priceputvicleanviclenie

хитрый коварный коварство умелый умение

premetenzvit

listigslug

เจ้าเล่ห์

kurnazkurnazlıkmarifetlihilekârhilekârlık

xảo quyệt

狡猾的精巧的灵巧狡猾

cunning

[ˈkʌnɪŋ]

A. ADJ

1. (pej) (= sly) → taimado, vivo (LAm)

2. (= clever) [person] → astuto, ingenioso; [plan, scheme, device] → ingenioso

3. (US) (= cute) → mono, precioso

B. N (= slyness) → astucia f; (= cleverness) → ingenio m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cunning

[ˈkʌnɪŋ]

adj

[person] (= clever) → malin/igne (pejorative) (= crafty) → rusé(e)

(= clever) [device, idea] → astucieux/euse

n (= cleverness) → astuce f (pejorative) (= craftiness) → ruse f

cunning

n (= cleverness) → Schlauheit f, → Listigkeit f, → Gerissenheit f; (liter: = skill) → (Kunst)fertigkeit f, → Geschick nt

adj

plan → schlau; person → schlau, gerissen; smile, expression → verschmitzt, verschlagen (pej); (= ingenious) gadget → schlau or clever (inf) → ausgedacht

(US inf) → drollig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cunning

[ˈkʌnɪŋ]

1. adj (pej) (crafty) → furbo/a, astuto/a; (clever, device, idea) → ingegnoso/a

2. n → furbizia, astuzia

cunning

(ˈkaniŋ) adjective

1. sly; clever in a deceitful way. cunning tricks.

2. clever. a cunning device.

noun

slyness or deceitful cleverness. full of cunning.

ˈcunningly adverb

cunningly disguised.

cunning

→ ماكِر rafinovaný snu schlau πανούργος astuto ovela rusé lukav furbo 狡猾な 교활한 listig listig przebiegły astuto хитрый listig เจ้าเล่ห์ kurnaz xảo quyệt 狡猾的

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References in classic literature ?

It is a point of cunning, to wait upon him with whom you speak, with your eye; as the Jesuits give it in precept: for there be many wise men, that have secret hearts, and transparent countenances.

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Lavrushka was one of those coarse, bare-faced lackeys who have seen all sorts of things, consider it necessary to do everything in a mean and cunning way, are ready to render any sort of service to their master, and are keen at guessing their master's baser impulses, especially those prompted by vanity and pettiness.

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"Thou art most wonderfully cunning, indeed," replied Jones; "however, I will write to my charmer, since I believe you will be cunning enough to find him to-morrow at the alehouse."

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The words are expressly intended to mislead some person -- yourself in all probability -- and the cunning which has put them to that use is a cunning which (as constantly happens when uninstructed persons meddle with law) has overreached itself.

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In such a sudden demand on their wisdom, the presence of the cunning Magua could scarcely fail of being needed.

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"For some reason," said Glinda, "we have failed to find this cunning old Mombi; so I fear our expedition will prove a failure.

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The jungle was wide; but wide too were the experience and cunning of Tarzan.

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What if he was a young, powerful, cunning, and ferocious beast?

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Fast and furious was the fighting as the nobles of Salensus Oll sprang, time and again, up the steps before the throne only to fall back before a sword hand that seemed to have gained a new wizardry from its experience with the cunning Solan.

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For the glance was full of cunning, the low cunning of the lunatic criminal.

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Of what worth are your courage and cunning, when you have no seed to make your courage and cunning live again?"

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'I am master of a hundred arts, and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning. You make me sorry for you; come with me, I will teach you how people get away from the hounds.' Just then came a hunter with four dogs.