shrewd

shrewd
adjective Etymology: Middle English shrewed, from shrewe + 1-ed Date: 13th century 1. archaic mischievous 2. obsolete abusive, shrewish 3. obsolete ominous, dangerous 4. a. severe, hard <
a shrewd knock
>
b. sharp, piercing <
a shrewd wind
>
5. a. marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen <
shrewd common sense
>
b. given to wily and artful ways or dealing <
a shrewd operator
>
shrewdly adverbshrewdness noun Synonyms: shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute mean acute in perception and sound in judgment. shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment <
a shrewd judge of character
>
. sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness <
sagacious investors got in on the ground floor
>
. perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden <
a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade
>
. astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill <
an astute player of party politics
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Shrewd — Shrewd, a. [Compar. {Shrewder}; superl. {Shrewdest}.] [Originally the p. p. of shrew, v.t.] 1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. [Obs.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shrewd´ly — shrewd «shrood», adjective. 1. having a sharp mind; showing a keen wit; clever: »a shrewd argument. »He is a shrewd businessman. He was too shrewd to go along with them upon a road which could lead only to their overthrow (James Froude). 2. a)… …   Useful english dictionary

  • shrewd — shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute can all mean acute in perception and sound in judgment, especially in reference to practical affairs. Shrewd implies native cleverness, acumen, and an exceptional ability to see below the surface; it often …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • shrewd — UK US /ʃruːd/ adjective ► able to judge people and situations well and make good decisions: »My one big regret is about money I wish I d been more shrewd. »Simon is an extremely shrewd businessman. »The time is ripe for shrewd investors to make a …   Financial and business terms

  • shrewd — [ʃru:d] adj [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: shrew in the old meaning very bad man ] 1.) good at judging what people or situations are really like ▪ Malcolm is a shrewd and realistic businessman. ▪ She was shrewd enough to guess who was responsible. ▪… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shrewd — [ ʃrud ] adjective * 1. ) able to judge people and situations very well and make good decisions: a shrewd politician a ) used about decisions and judgments: a shrewd marketing strategy 2. ) good at tricking people to get something you want: a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • shrewd — shrewd; shrewd·ly; shrewd·ness; …   English syllables

  • shrewd — [shro͞od] adj. [ME schrewed, pp. of schrewen, to curse < schrewe: see SHREW] 1. Obs. a) evil, bad, wicked, mischievous, shrewish, etc. b) artful, cunning, wily, etc. in one s dealings with others 2. keen witted, clever, or sharp in practical… …   English World dictionary

  • shrewd|ie — «SHROO dee», noun. Informal. a shrewd person …   Useful english dictionary

  • shrewd — index artful, judicious, machiavellian, perceptive, perspicacious, politic, practiced, prudent, resourceful …   Law dictionary

  • shrewd — c.1300, wicked, evil, from shrewe wicked man (see SHREW (Cf. shrew)). Cf. crabbed from CRAB (Cf. crab), dogged from DOG (Cf. dog), wicked from WITCH (Cf. witch). The sense …   Etymology dictionary

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