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)

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

Rare. skill or craftiness. — callid, adj.

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

subterfuge or devious and underhanded behavior; low cunning.

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

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

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

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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

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

adjectivenoun

2. The act or practice of deceiving:

Translations

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

chytrýmazanostmazanýprohnanostrafinovaný

snusnuhedudspekuleretkloglist

ovelataitavataitavuuskiero

lukav

alattomoscsalafintacselesdörzsöltravasz

kænskakunnáttusamlegur; kænnlúmskur

狡猾な

교활한

callidus

apgaulingasišradingas

apķērīgsgudrsviltībaviltīgs

priceputvicleanviclenie

premetenzvit

listigslug

เจ้าเล่ห์

xảo quyệt

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

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

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