Link Centre Dictionary

clever

cle·ver

UK/ˈklɛv.ə/ US/ˈklɛv.ɚ/ common uk us

adjective

1.

skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends

  • “cool prudence and sensitive selfishness along with quick perception of what is possible--these distinguish an adroit politician”
  • “came up with a clever story”
  • “an ingenious press agent”
  • “an ingenious scheme”
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2.

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

  • “a cagey lawyer”
  • “too clever to be sound”
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3.

mentally quick and resourceful

  • “an apt pupil”
  • “you are a clever man...you reason well and your wit is bold” Bram Stoker
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4.

showing inventiveness and skill

  • “a clever gadget”
  • “the cunning maneuvers leading to his success”
  • “an ingenious solution to the problem”
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Origin

From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”). * perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”); * or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or East/Saterland Frisian (compare kluftich (“clever, prudent”), probably derived from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban (“to cleave, split”)); * or dialectal Norwegian klover (“ready, skillful”), itself borrowed from Middle Low German klever, related to kleven (“to stick”), from Old Saxon klibōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klibēn, related to the Old English word above; * possibly influenced by Old English clifer (“claw, hand”) (compare clawian (“to claw”)). Related to cleave. Perhaps influenced by Welsh celfydd (“talented, dexterous, expert”). Compare typologically Czech chytrý, Russian хи́трый (xítryj) (akin to хвата́ть (xvatátʹ)), also note схва́тывать на лету́ (sxvátyvatʹ na letú).

Phrases

  • as clever as a cartload of monkeys
  • box clever
  • clever arse
  • clever clogs
  • clever dick
  • too clever by half

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.