canny

1 of 2

adjective

can·​ny ˈka-nē 

cannier; canniest

1

: clever, shrewd

a canny lawyer

also : prudent

canny investments

2

chiefly Scotland

a

: careful, steady

also : restrained

b

: quiet, snug

then canny, in some cozy place, they close the day

—Robert Burns

cannily

ˈka-nə-lē 

adverb

canniness

ˈka-nē-nəs 

noun

canny

2 of 2

adverb

Scotland

: in a canny manner : carefully

Synonyms

Adjective

• astute
• clear-eyed
• clear-sighted
• hard-boiled
• hardheaded
• heady
• knowing
• savvy
• sharp
• sharp-witted
• shrewd
• smart

Examples of canny in a Sentence

Adjective

a canny card player, good at psyching out his opponents

warm and canny under the woolen bedcovers, we didn't mind the chilly Scottish nights

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Anthropic’s Claude had that very morning given me canny insight into a personal matter. —Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024

Against that backdrop, Harris’s first economic promise—exempting tips from taxation—was canny. —Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024

The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled. —The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

Shaffer provided just enough to unleash the formidable arsenals of two canny veterans. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

originally Scots & regional northern English, going back to early Scots, "free from risk, sagacious, prudent, cautious," probably from can "ability" (noun derivative of can can entry 1) + -y -y entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1786, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

canny

adjective

can·​ny

ˈkan-ē

cannier; canniest

: watchful of one's own interest

cannily

ˈkan-ᵊl-ē

adverb

canniness

ˈkan-ē-nəs

noun