adjective
clever
KLEV-er/ˈklevər/
Showing quick intelligence or skill in solving problems.
The clever man retrieves the keys with a magnet on a string.
Etymology
The apparent link to dialectal cliver, “expert at seizing,” points to practical dexterity: clever first described manual skill. That idea later extended to mental quickness and ingenuity.
In context
And it's a pretty clever design, too, because it means the drone immediately starts at its cruising speed, where it takes much less energy to stay airborne.
More examples
- She found a clever way to save space.
- He was cleverer than his rivals at spotting patterns.
- It was the cleverest solution they had considered.
Forms
clever · cleverer · cleverest
cleverness noun — Skill in thinking or solving problems.