Dictionary

shrewd en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• shro͞od
• /ʃɹuːd/

Etymology

From Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English sċrēawa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent to shrew + -ed. More at shrew. The sense of "cunning" developed in early 16ᵗʰ c., gradually gaining a positive connotation by 17ᵗʰ c.

Meanings

1. Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
2. Artful, tricky or cunning.
3. (informal) streetwise, street-smart.
   • Willie is very aware of this fact and lets Johnny Attell know that there is a fly in the ointment, and Johnny, who is a very shrewd article, has his chauffeur drive him to Bradford Street so he can change the kid's mind. 2003, Ron Ross, Bummy Davis vs. Murder, Inc, page 287:
4. Knowledgeable, intelligent, keen.
   • The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott. 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:
5. Nigh accurate.
   • a shrewd guess
6. Severe, intense, hard.
   • a shrewd blow, or assault
7. Sharp, snithy, piercing.
   • a shrewd wind
8. (archaic) Bad, evil, threatening.
   • Portia: There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper, That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek: Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Could turn so much the constitution Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […] c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
9. (obsolete) Portending, boding.
10. (archaic) Noxious, scatheful, mischievous.
    • They were wont to please the Fairies, that they might doe them no shrewd turnes, by sweeping clean the Hearth and setting by it […] 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 29:
11. (obsolete) Abusive, shrewish.
12. (archaic) Scolding, satirical, sharp.
    • Leonato: By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue. 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

Forms

Deriveds

unshrewd · shrewdy · shrewdity · shrewdish · shrewdly · ultrashrewd · shrewdie · shrewdness

Translations (139)

sv fiffig (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu dörzsölt (artful, tricky or cunning) · de klug (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · cmn 精明 (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · mk остро́умен (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · hu leleményes (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · gl astuto (artful, tricky or cunning) · gd seòlta (artful, tricky or cunning) · fi katuviisas (streetwise) · fr futé (streetwise) · ca perspicaç (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · be практычны (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · no skarpsindig (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · de schlau (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu ravasz (artful, tricky or cunning) · th ฉลาดแกมโกง (artful, tricky or cunning) · nl schrander (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · enm sly (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · la versūtus (artful, tricky or cunning) · ga glic (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ja 賢い (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr habile (artful, tricky or cunning) · ms licik (artful, tricky or cunning) · cy hirben (artful, tricky or cunning) · bg отракан (artful, tricky or cunning) · da listig (artful, tricky or cunning) · th หัวหมอ (artful, tricky or cunning) · pt sagaz (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · gl perspicaz (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · da fiffig (artful, tricky or cunning) · pdt beschläpen (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fi fiksu (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · pl cwany (artful, tricky or cunning) · fi neuvokas (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · es perspicaz (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · cmn 狡猾 (artful, tricky or cunning) · gd seòlta (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr malin (streetwise) · fi ovela (artful, tricky or cunning) · fi nokkela (artful, tricky or cunning) · mi rauhanga (artful, tricky or cunning) · ar حَاذِق (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · cs vychytralý (artful, tricky or cunning) · cy craff (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu furfangos (artful, tricky or cunning) · id lihai (streetwise) · mi mūrere (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · oc fin (artful, tricky or cunning) · th หลักแหลม (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · enm sleighte (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr sagace (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr futé (artful, tricky or cunning) · sv slug (artful, tricky or cunning) · de gerissen (streetwise) · id lihai (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · eo sagaca (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ru расчётливый (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ja 狡猾な (artful, tricky or cunning) · th เฉลียวฉลาด (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr avisé (streetwise) · ru зна́ющий (streetwise) · ru проница́тельный (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · cs mazaný (artful, tricky or cunning) · es astuto (artful, tricky or cunning) · gd glic (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ru практи́чный (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · hu élelmes (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · hu agyafúrt (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ja 抜け目のない (artful, tricky or cunning) · ka მკვეთრი (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fa رند (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · sv listig (artful, tricky or cunning) · cs bystrý (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · de gewitzt (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · da klog (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · it scaltro (artful, tricky or cunning) · mk и́тар (artful, tricky or cunning) · pt perspicaz (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · it sagace (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ru уме́лый (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu okos (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fa ناقلا (artful, tricky or cunning) · th เจ้าเล่ห์ (artful, tricky or cunning) · cs chytrý (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · es astuto (streetwise) · hu cseles (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu rafinált (artful, tricky or cunning) · be разважлівы (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · mk о́тракан (artful, tricky or cunning) · sv finurlig (artful, tricky or cunning) · fr rusé (artful, tricky or cunning) · de clever (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · de listig (artful, tricky or cunning) · cy cyfrwys (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu szemfüles (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · pt sagaz (artful, tricky or cunning) · ca astut (artful, tricky or cunning) · ar نَبِيه (artful, tricky or cunning) · fi neuvokas (streetwise) · hu éles elméjű (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · hi कुशाग्र (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · gl pillabán (artful, tricky or cunning) · fi kekseliäs (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · oc astuciós (artful, tricky or cunning) · ca astut (streetwise) · bg ловък (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · id lihai (artful, tricky or cunning) · it astuto (artful, tricky or cunning) · mk сна́одлив (artful, tricky or cunning) · da snu (artful, tricky or cunning) · fr roublard (artful, tricky or cunning) · ja 賢明な (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fr perspicace (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · bg хитър (artful, tricky or cunning) · la callidus (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · cs znalý místních poměrů (streetwise) · de raffiniert (artful, tricky or cunning) · it perspicace (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · mi rauhanga (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ru хи́трый (artful, tricky or cunning) · oc enganaire (artful, tricky or cunning) · ru нахо́дчивый (artful, tricky or cunning) · cs prohnaný (artful, tricky or cunning) · hu éles eszű (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · nl listig (artful, tricky or cunning) · de gewieft (streetwise) · sa चतुर (artful, tricky or cunning) · de pfiffig (streetwise) · bg нахакан (streetwise) · fi kätevä (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · la callidus (artful, tricky or cunning) · pl chytry (artful, tricky or cunning) · sv klok (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · fi neuvokas (artful, tricky or cunning) · nl sluw (artful, tricky or cunning) · fr sagace (streetwise) · ug زىرەك (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters) · ar نَاصِح (artful, tricky or cunning) · th มีไหวพริบ (showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters)