Meaning & use
cleverly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a smart, inventive way that shows good thinking and skill in solving a problem.
Grammar: Often placed before a past participle or after the verb: cleverly designed, solved it cleverly.
Patterns
- cleverly designed
- cleverly disguised
- cleverly done
The bookshelf is cleverly designed to fold flat.
She cleverly avoided answering the question.
The author cleverly hints at the ending from the first page.
adverbnot comparabledisapproving
In a sly or crafty way, using cunning to get what you want, sometimes unfairly.
Grammar: Tone is usually clear from context; it can sound like criticism.
Patterns
- cleverly manipulate something
He cleverly shifted the blame onto his assistant.
The company cleverly hid the fees in the fine print.
The fox cleverly tricked the crow into dropping the cheese.
Word forms
| comparative | more cleverly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most cleverly |
Common combinations
- cleverly disguised
- The door was cleverly disguised as a bookcase.
- cleverly designed
- It is a cleverly designed game that rewards patience.
- cleverly written
- The script is cleverly written, with a twist in every scene.
- cleverly hidden
- The key was cleverly hidden inside a hollow book.
- cleverly avoid
- The politician cleverly avoided a direct reply.
Synonyms and how they differ
- smartly
- Smartly can also mean neatly dressed, while cleverly is mainly about mental skill.
- ingeniously
- Ingeniously is stronger and suggests an unusually original solution.
- cunningly
- Cunningly stresses sly trickery and is rarely purely complimentary, unlike cleverly.
- skillfully
- Skillfully focuses on practiced ability, whereas cleverly stresses quick wit.
Opposites
Word family
- clever adjective
- Quick to learn or smart at solving problems.
- cleverness noun
- The quality of being clever.
- cleverer adjective
- More clever; the comparative of clever.
Commonly confused: cleverly or cleaverly?
cleverly vs cleaverly
This is a misspelling; cleaver is a chopping knife, and the adverb is spelled cleverly.
Practice
The architect ___ used mirrors to make the small room feel larger.
Choose one answer.
An adverb is needed to modify the verb used, so cleverly is correct; clever is an adjective and cleverness is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cleverly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.