cunning en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈkʌnɪŋ/
Etymology
From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing. Cognate with Scots cunnand (“cunning”), German könnend (“able to do”), Icelandic kunnandi (“cunning”). More at con, can.
Meanings
-
Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
-
(obsolete) Skillful, artful.
Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white / Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on.
c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:Esau was a cunning hunter.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 25:27:a cunning workman
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 38:23:
-
(obsolete) Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.
Over them Arachne high did lift / Her cunning web.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 29:cunning work
-
(Maine, colloquial, dated) Cute, appealing.
everybody gives something to the cunning little boy; his eyes are large and soft, and he wears a pointed hat, and tight breeches, and jacket
1857, Barbara H. Channing, The Sisters Abroad, Or, an Italian Journey:“I shan't mind that at all, I like the little house 'cause it's got a garden, and there's a cunning room with a three-cornered closet in it that I always wanted.[…]”
1869–1870, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter XV, in An Old-Fashioned Girl, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, published 1870, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more cunning | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most cunning | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
cunning man · cunningness · cunning woman · cunning folk · cunning stunt · cunning linguistics · uncunning · overcunning · cunningly · cunning linguist
Descendants
カンニング (cheating)
Synonyms
tricky · foxlike · cunning · devious · astute · shrewd · tricksy · diabolical · subtle · guileful · vulpine · cautelous · sly · crafty · wily · slim · frood · foxy · artful
Translations (169)
de clever (skillful) · got 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (sly) · ota قورناز (sly) · cs milý (cute) · de listenreich (sly) · de abgefeimt (sly) · la vafer (sly) · es ingenioso (skillful) · hu dörzsölt (sly) · bg кова́рен (sly) · nl handig (skillful) · gl solerte (sly) · es perillán (sly) · vi láu lỉnh (sly) · cs prohnaný (sly) · fa رند (sly) · izh veekas (sly) · cs obratný (skillful) · es taimado (sly) · gl pillabán (sly) · nl geslepen (sly) · lv viltīgs (sly) · nrf rusé (sly) · sh подмукао (sly) · cu лѫкавъ (sly) · fa مکار (sly) · cmn 狡詐 /狡诈 (sly) · gl tréfego (sly) · gl renarte (sly) · ca astut (skillful) · ja 狡猾な (sly) · da snedig (sly) · gl sangual (sly) · gl matreiro (sly) · es mono (cute) · de listig (sly) · sh podmukao (sly) · vi xảo trá (sly) · sh lukav (sly) · fi ovela (sly) · gd seòlta (skillful) · ota آصمق (sly) · sk mazaný (sly) · gd seòlta (sly) · fa گربز (skillful) · ru до́шлый (sly) · es cuco (sly) · de hinterlistig (sly) · hy խորամանկ (sly) · pt esperto (skillful) · es pillo (sly) · ru ло́вкий (skillful) · sa धूर्त (sly) · ru иску́сный (skillful) · pl wprawny (skillful) · es cuco (cute) · ru кова́рный (sly) · ca murri (skillful) · pl przebiegły (sly) · cs mazaný (sly) · gl xistrón (sly) · de gefitzt (sly) · uk лука́вий (sly) · pl cwany (sly) · la callidus (skillful) · uk хи́трий (sly) · de gewieft (skillful) · lt gudrus (sly) · ru уме́лый (skillful) · de gefitzt (skillful) · ro priceput (skillful) · ca murri (sly) · de ausgeklügelt (skillful) · it astuto (sly) · ka ცბიერი (sly) · tl tuso (sly) · pl chytry (sly) · nl sluw (sly) · hu alattomos (sly) · te నేర్పరి (skillful) · la versūtus (sly) · la callidus (sly) · vi xảo quyệt (sly) · es pícaro (sly) · ro viclean (sly) · de durchtrieben (sly) · sv slug (sly) · es artero (sly) · gl arteiro (sly) · nl bedreven (skillful) · pl sprytny (sly) · ru лука́вый (sly) · hu cseles (sly) · grc πυκνός (sly) · pl umiejętny (skillful) · pt matreiro (sly) · de gerissen (sly) · cs sladký (cute) · th เหลี่ยม (sly) · fi taitava (skillful) · it ingegnoso (skillful) · ca maquiavèl·lic (sly) · ang ġēaplīċ (sly) · sh prepreden (sly) · sh лукав (sly) · pl zręczny (skillful) · fr rusé (sly) · hu ügyes (skillful) · nl leep (sly) · de gewitzt (skillful) · ka ქვეშქვეშა (sly) · be хі́тры (sly) · ga glic (sly) · cs rozkošný (cute) · sk prefíkaný (sly) · ar مَاكِر (sly) · ja 巧妙な (skillful) · it furbo (sly) · eo ruza (sly) · sl zvit (sly) · hu ravasz (sly) · de schlau (sly) · es listo (sly) · de gefinkelt (sly) · sv listig (sly) · de gefinkelt (skillful) · ka ეშმაკი (sly) · ca astut (sly) · cmn 狡黠 (sly) · ro șiret (sly) · pt astuto (skillful) · es astuto (skillful) · cs vychytralý (sly) · izh kavala (sly) · ru хи́трый (sly) · ka მზაკვრული (sly) · sk chytrý (skillful) · ka ცბიერი (skillful) · fr talentueux (skillful) · de geschickt (skillful) · nl doortrapt (sly) · es astuto (sly) · ko 교활하다 (sly) · gl galdrido (sly) · bg хи́тър (sly) · pt esperto (sly) · gl prosmeiro (sly) · de schlau (skillful) · cmn 狡猾 (sly) · hu csalafinta (sly) · ru проны́рливый (sly) · sh препреден (sly) · grc στρεβλός (skillful) · grc κίδαφος (sly) · bg сръчен (skillful) · uz ayyor (sly) · de ausgefuchst (skillful) · bg лука́в (sly) · de gewandt (skillful) · pt astuto (sly) · cu хꙑтръ (sly) · cmn 巧妙 (skillful) · bg изкусен (skillful) · fi kiero (sly) · cs šikovný (skillful) · da listig (sly) · fi ovela (skillful) · ja 狡猾な (skillful) · zko āru (sly)