Meaning & use

shrewd

adjective·Advanced

Having sharp judgment, especially in practical or business matters.

See it in a sentence

A shrewd negotiator, she managed to lower the price by nearly a third.

His shrewd investments early on secured his family's financial future.

A note on using this word

Shrewd praises practical cleverness and good judgment, while cunning leans toward deceptive or self-serving cleverness.

Words with a similar meaning

astutecunningsharp-witted

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

naivefoolish

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