Meaning & use
shrewdly
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Meaning
adverbcomparable
In a clever, practical way that shows good judgment about people or situations, often to get an advantage.
Grammar: Goes before a verb or participle: shrewdly invested; it can also begin a sentence.
Patterns
- shrewdly judge something
- shrewdly invest something
She shrewdly waited until the seller was desperate before making an offer.
The company shrewdly bought its rival's patents at the bottom of the market.
He shrewdly avoided answering the question directly.
Word forms
| comparative | more shrewdly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most shrewdly |
Common combinations
- shrewdly observed
- As one critic shrewdly observed, the film is about money, not love.
- shrewdly invested
- They shrewdly invested in land before the railway arrived.
- shrewdly timed
- The announcement was shrewdly timed to avoid bad publicity.
- shrewdly negotiate
- She shrewdly negotiated a higher salary.
- shrewdly judge
- He shrewdly judged how far he could push his luck.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cleverly
- Cleverly is a general word for showing intelligence, while shrewdly specifically suggests practical sense about people and money.
- astutely
- Astutely is a little more formal and stresses sharp perception, whereas shrewdly often hints at calculation for gain.
- cunningly
- Cunningly implies sneaky or deceptive tricks and is more negative than shrewdly.
- wisely
- Wisely is about good moral or long-term sense, but shrewdly is about seeing the practical advantage.
Opposites
Word family
- shrewd adjective
- clever and sharp in practical matters
- shrewdness noun
- the quality of being shrewd
Commonly confused: shrewdly or shrewish?
shrewdly vs shrewish
Shrewish describes a bad-tempered, scolding person and is not related in meaning to shrewd, though the two look similar.
Practice
The manager ____ chose to announce the layoffs after the shareholders' meeting, avoiding a public outcry.
Choose one answer.
Shrewdly fits because the manager used practical judgment to gain an advantage. Boldly suggests courage, and carelessly and gently do not explain a calculated choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shrewdly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.