clever

[ klev-er ]

adjective

, clev·er·er, clev·er·est.

1. mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.

   Synonyms: expert, apt, gifted, smart, quick-witted, talented, ingenious

   Antonyms: stupid

2. superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile:

   It was an amusing, clever play, but of no lasting value.

3. showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious:

   His clever device was the first to solve the problem.

4. adroit with the hands or body; dexterous or nimble.

   Synonyms: handy, agile, skillful

   Antonyms: clumsy

5. Older Use.
   1. suitable; convenient; satisfactory.
   2. good-natured.
   3. handsome.
   4. in good health.

clever

/ ˈklɛvə /

adjective

1. displaying sharp intelligence or mental alertness
2. adroit or dexterous, esp with the hands
3. smart in a superficial way
4. informal.
   sly; cunning
5. dialect.
   predicative; used with a negative healthy; fit

Derived Forms

• ˈcleverness, noun
• ˈcleverish, adjective
• ˈcleverly, adverb

Other Words From

• clever·ish adjective
• clever·ish·ly adverb
• clever·ly adverb
• clever·ness noun
• over·clever adjective
• over·clever·ly adverb
• over·clever·ness noun
• un·clever adjective
• un·clever·ly adverb
• un·clever·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clever¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cliver, perhaps from Old English clifer “claw,” clife “burdock,” or akin to East Frisian klüfer “skillful, agile, alert”; cleavers, cleft ¹, clove ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of clever¹

C13 cliver (in the sense: quick to seize, adroit), of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

The smuggling gangs are clever and “know the terrain very well”, he explains.

From BBC

Surprisingly, the clever solutions that engineers and physicists come up with in the lab, turn out to be out there in living nature.

From Science Daily

The scammers were clever, using targeted information from their victims' social media, investigators believe.

From BBC

Wallabies demonstrated another side to their game when Faessler was driven over from a maul before Wales finally fired an attacking shot with a clever finish from Wainwright.

From BBC

He found Marks to a very clever and convincing man.

From BBC