Meaning & use
cunning
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Clever at getting what you want, often by tricking people or finding sly ways round problems.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a cunning plan, he was cunning.
Patterns
- cunning plan
- cunning at something
The fox was too cunning to fall into the trap.
She devised a cunning plan to win the contest.
He was cunning enough to hide the evidence.
noununcountable
Skill in deceiving others or getting results by indirect, sly means.
Grammar: Uncountable: with great cunning, not a cunning.
Patterns
- with cunning
- use cunning
He escaped through sheer cunning.
The old trader used cunning to win every bargain.
Her cunning surprised the whole committee.
adjectivebefore a nounold-fashionedinformal
Cleverly made or designed, in a way that is neat or charming.
Grammar: Informal and now rare, mostly before a noun: a cunning little box.
She bought a cunning little teapot at the fair.
The cunning design folded neatly into a drawer.
He built a cunning device from old clock parts.
Word forms
| comparative | more cunning |
|---|---|
| superlative | most cunning |
Common combinations
- cunning plan
- The cunning plan involved a fake delivery.
- cunning as a fox
- The detective was as cunning as a fox.
- sheer cunning
- They won by sheer cunning rather than strength.
- cunning trick
- He used a cunning trick to open the lock.
- cunning smile
- A cunning smile crossed the thief's face.
- animal cunning
- The rat showed almost human cunning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sly
- Sly suggests quiet, sneaky behavior, while cunning stresses clever planning.
- crafty
- Crafty is almost the same but slightly lighter and sometimes playful.
- shrewd
- Shrewd is closer to admirable judgment, especially in business, and carries less suspicion.
- wily
- Wily is a more old-fashioned or literary word for someone good at tricks.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: cunning or clever? cunning or cunning vs. cunt?
cunning vs clever
Clever is generally positive and does not imply trickery, while cunning often does.
cunning vs cunning vs. cunt
These are unrelated in meaning, and cunning is a normal, polite adjective.
Practice
The fox in the story is described as ___, meaning it tricks the farmer with sly plans.
Choose one answer.
Cunning describes clever, tricky behavior. Generous, clumsy and gentle do not describe sly planning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cunning”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.