adjective / noun
cunning
KUN-ing/ˈkʌnɪŋ/
Cleverness used to deceive or gain an advantage.
The card player's cunning conceals a winning card from the unsuspecting opponent.
Etymology
Cunning originally meant knowing, learned, or skillful. That favorable idea of knowledge and ability shifted toward skill used craftily or deceptively, giving the adjective its sly implication.
In context
but another item on the checklist is cunning, manipulative.
he has a lot of savvy he is cunning. what he does is trick the rebels
More examples
- The scam depends on cunning rather than force.
- His cunning questions lead us to reveal more than we intend.
- The thief devises a cunning plan to distract the guards.
Forms
cunning
cunningly adverb — In a cleverly deceptive or crafty way.
Similar words
- guile
- Emphasizes deceptive tricks rather than cleverness in general.
- craftiness
- Stresses skill at devising sneaky plans or tricks.
- shrewdness
- Emphasizes sharp practical judgment without necessarily suggesting deception.