| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| shrewd |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  shr d |
| ADJECTIVE: | Inflected forms: shrewd·er, shrewd·est
1. Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical. 2. Disposed to artful and cunning practices; tricky. 3. Sharp; penetrating: a shrewd wind. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English shrewed, wicked, from shrew, rascal. See shrew. | | OTHER FORMS: | shrewd ly —ADVERB
| | SYNONYMS: | shrewd, sagacious, astute, perspicacious These adjectives mean having or showing keen awareness, sound judgment, and often resourcefulness, especially in practical matters. Shrewd suggests a sharp intelligence, hardheadness, and often an intuitive grasp of practical considerations: “He was too shrewd to go along with them upon a road which could lead only to their overthrow” (J.A. Froude). Sagacious connotes prudence, discernment, and farsightedness: “He was observant and thoughtful, and given to asking sagacious questions” (John Galt). Astute suggests shrewdness, especially with regard to one's own interests: An astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease. Perspicacious implies penetration and clear-sightedness: She is much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument. See also synonyms at clever.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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