Meaning & use
shrewd
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Meaning
adjectivecomparableapproving
Having sharp practical judgment and an ability to understand what is likely to succeed.
Grammar: Commonly before nouns or after linking verbs; often used for business, decisions, or people.
Patterns
- a shrewd judge of character
- a shrewd decision
- shrewd enough to do something
She made a shrewd decision to delay the launch until demand was clearer.
He is a shrewd judge of character and rarely hires in a hurry.
The small shop survived by keeping a shrewd eye on costs.
Word forms
| comparative | shrewder |
|---|---|
| superlative | shrewdest |
Common combinations
- shrewd business sense
- Her shrewd business sense kept the bakery profitable for years.
- shrewd investment
- Buying the warehouse before prices rose proved a shrewd investment.
- shrewd move
- Asking for feedback early was a shrewd move.
- shrewd observer
- A shrewd observer noticed that customers preferred the smaller tables.
Synonyms and how they differ
- astute
- Astute is close but often stresses quick insight into complex situations; shrewd stresses practical advantage.
- cunning
- Cunning can imply deceptive or self-serving cleverness; shrewd is usually approving or neutral.
- perceptive
- Perceptive means noticing and understanding things accurately; shrewd adds the idea of acting wisely on that understanding.
- calculating
- Calculating often suggests cold planning for personal gain; shrewd need not be cold or selfish.
Opposites
Word family
- shrewdness noun
- Sharp practical judgment.
- shrewdly adverb
- In a way that shows sharp practical judgment.
Commonly confused: shrewd or shrew? shrewd or rude?
shrewd vs shrew
A shrew is a small animal; in older insulting use it meant a scolding woman, while shrewd means sharply practical.
shrewd vs rude
Shrewd sounds similar in casual speech to some learners, but rude means impolite; shrewd is about judgment.
Practice
Which sentence uses shrewd most naturally?
Choose one answer.
Testing before release shows sharp practical judgment, which is the core meaning of shrewd. Interrupting is rude, a coat cannot be shrewd, and taste is not described as shrewd.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shrewd”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.