clever
clever Lexical Profile
clever Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; mentally bright and resourceful.
"The clever student quickly figured out a shortcut to solve the complex algebra problem."
Showing inventiveness, originality, or witty ingenuity in design, construction, or expression.
"The architect came up with a clever solution to maximize natural light in the narrow hallway."
Skilled at doing something physically; nimble or dexterous with one's hands or body.
"She has always been very clever with her hands, effortlessly repairing delicate antique watches."
Word Nuance & Usage
While generally a term of praise, 'clever' can carry a slightly negative connotation (as in 'too clever by half') when implying that someone is overly calculating, superficial, or manipulative rather than genuinely wise.
• Rhymes for clever
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English cliver ('nimble of claws, sharp to seize'), probably of East Anglian dialectal origin and related to Old English clifer ('claw') and clifian ('to cleave or adhere'). The sense evolved from physical dexterity in grasping things to mental quickness during the 17th and 18th centuries.