1
: dexterous or crafty in the use of special resources (such as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end
a cunning plotter
2
: characterized by wiliness and trickery
cunning schemes
3
: prettily appealing : cute
a cunning little kitten
4
: displaying keen insight
a cunning observation
cunningness noun

cunning

2 of 2

noun

1
: dexterous skill and subtlety (as in inventing, devising, or executing)
high-ribbed vault … with perfect cunning framed William Wordsworth
2
3
obsolete
b
: magic art
Choose the Right Synonym for cunning

Adjective

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.

clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Noun

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised.

art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power.

the art of choosing the right word

skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency.

the skill of a glassblower

cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing.

a mystery plotted with great cunning

artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature.

believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice

craft may imply expertness in workmanship.

the craft of a master goldsmith

Examples of cunning in a Sentence

Adjective … this cat has made his way into the Fitness Center for cunning reasons of his own and reveals himself only to certain privileged individuals. Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's, June 2008
Throughout his time hunting the vampire, Manolito had been wounded and poisoned on many occasions, but still he'd survived because he'd always used his brain. He was cunning and shrewd and very intelligent. Christine Feehan, Dark Possession, 2007
I have recounted the advice I received from an old-timer about how to keep raccoons out of garbage cans—advice that eventually included the purchase of a combination lock. ("A raccoon's cunning, but he's got no head for figures.") Calvin Trillin, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 1993
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Finally, and most importantly, a competitive culture will reinforce a mindset essential to countering the cunning and ambitious threats in space. Charles Beames, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 Amid a deadly winter, survival transforms into a perilous game of cunning and betrayal. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
There’s an unapologetic cunning at the heart of this series, and a mercurial spirit that’s as slippery as blood on an Italian marble floor. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024 Just as Nordlinger shows that the peacemakers and Nobel laureates whose work holds up best are those who brought specific conflicts to an end, the organizations in Bob's account that get the most done are those that pursue limited goals with cunning and patience. Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012 See all Example Sentences for cunning 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from present participle of can know

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cunning was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cunning

Cite this Entry

“Cunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cunning. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

cunning

1 of 2 adjective
1
: very good or very clever at using special knowledge or skills or at getting something done
a cunning detective
2
: showing keen understanding
a cunning observation
3
: marked by deception and trickery
4
cunningness noun

cunning

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: cleverness in getting what one wants often by tricks or deceiving

More from Merriam-Webster on cunning

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