clever

adjective

clev·​er ˈkle-vər How to pronounce clever (audio)
1
a
: skillful or adroit in using the hands or body : nimble
clever fingers
b
: mentally quick and resourceful
a clever young lawyer
2
: marked by wit or ingenuity
a clever solution
a clever idea
the play's clever dialogue
3
dialect
a
: good
b
: easy to use or handle
cleverish adjective
cleverly adverb
cleverness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for clever

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.

clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

synonyms see in addition intelligent

Examples of clever in a Sentence

All of Laptsev went to stare at the bride-to-be—she was no beauty, but everyone could see that she was clever, sophisticated … Isaac Bashevis Singer, New Yorker, 29 Sept. 2003
… the three of them may give Gray Davis, who was too clever for his own good, his comeuppance. Garrison Keillor, Time, 25 Aug. 2003
Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator … Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002
Those who can't write poetry, write clever letters to the editor. Those who can't write clever letters to the editor, write angry letters to the editor. Matt Groening, Utne Reader, November/December 1987
The old lady was clever enough and he thought that if she had started from any of the right premises, more might have been expected of her. Flannery O'Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge, 1967
Some cats are clever enough to figure out how to operate doorknobs. That's the cleverest idea I've heard yet! She found a clever hiding place for the letter.
Recent Examples on the Web Then the enticements of the entertainment business come to the fore and burn Petey out—and this, in its clever and melancholy way, is the movie’s strange and deep insight. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024 With this clever game, kids can toss, shake, and catch the plush egg without messy shells and yolks getting all over the floor. Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024 Moreover, Marshall's arranging of a marching band airport arrival for his wife capped off this clever half-hour with what would be one of the sweetest Marshall and Lily moments ever. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 But instead, screenwriter Gregory Poirier’s tribute to an earlier era’s taciturn machismo is more muddled and ludicrous than fleet and clever. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 While the brand’s collection of jewels feature actual sculptures of panthers, this watch takes a much more subtle approach with a clever chain design that’s reminiscent of the big cat’s movement. Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 Dan Croxall, a craft beer law expert and professor at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, told Fortune that, in intellectual property cases similar to this, a clever gag or added layer of brand recognition just isn’t worth the risk. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024 Modeled after Tokugawa Ieyasu, the real-life figure who helped unify Japan, Toranaga is clever but stubborn, intimidating but warm—as dramatic a departure for Sanada as the show itself is for American television. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 Dani Olmo came within inches of a goal that would have taken the tie to extra time in stoppage time, but his clever lob hit the top of the crossbar with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin watching on helplessly. Matias Grez, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful

First Known Use

circa 1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of clever was circa 1595

Dictionary Entries Near clever

Cite this Entry

“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clever. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clever

adjective
clev·​er ˈklev-ər How to pronounce clever (audio)
1
: showing skill especially in using one's hands
clever fingers
2
: quick in learning
a clever pupil
3
: showing wit or imagination
a clever idea
cleverish adjective
cleverly adverb
cleverness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on clever

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