Meaning & use
ingenious
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Very clever and original, especially in solving a problem or making something.
Grammar: Gradable: you can say 'more ingenious' or 'most ingenious'; it describes ideas, plans, or people.
Patterns
- an ingenious solution
- an ingenious way of doing something
- be ingenious at something
She came up with an ingenious solution to the traffic problem.
The engineer designed an ingenious device that turns seawater into drinking water.
His ingenious use of recycled materials won the design competition.
adjectivecomparable
Describing a person who is clever at inventing or finding solutions.
Grammar: Can describe a person directly: 'an ingenious inventor'.
Patterns
- an ingenious person
- be ingenious at doing something
The ingenious inventor held over fifty patents.
She is ingenious at finding cheap ways to travel.
Word forms
| comparative | more ingenious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most ingenious |
Common combinations
- ingenious solution
- The team found an ingenious solution to the storage problem.
- ingenious idea
- Her ingenious idea saved the company thousands of dollars.
- ingenious way
- He has an ingenious way of explaining difficult concepts.
- ingenious device
- The museum displays an ingenious device for measuring time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clever
- More general and often less admiring; 'ingenious' suggests real originality.
- inventive
- Focuses on the ability to create new things, while 'ingenious' stresses the cleverness of the result.
- creative
- Broad and positive; 'ingenious' implies solving a specific problem in a smart way.
- resourceful
- Emphasizes making good use of what is available, not necessarily originality.
Opposites
Word family
- ingenuity noun
- The quality of being clever and original.
- ingeniously adverb
- In a clever and original way.
Commonly confused: ingenious or ingenuous?
ingenious vs ingenuous
Means innocent, honest, or naive, not clever. They look similar but have very different meanings.
Practice
The architect's ___ design made the tiny apartment feel spacious.
Choose one answer.
'Ingenious' means clever and original, which fits a smart design. 'Ingenuous' means innocent or naive, 'infatigable' means never tired, and 'infighting' is a noun meaning internal conflict.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ingenious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.