SHREWD Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'shrewd' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of shrewd are astute , perspicacious , and sagacious . While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment. // a shrewd judge of character

Q: When is it sensible to use 'astute' instead of 'shrewd'?

While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill. // an astute player of party politics

Q: When could 'perspicacious' be used to replace 'shrewd'?

The meanings of perspicacious and shrewd largely overlap; however, perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden. // a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

Q: When might 'sagacious' be a better fit than 'shrewd'?

While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd , sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness. // sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

shrewd

adjective

ˈshrüd

Definition of shrewd next

as in smart

having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal shrewd investments that paid off big

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bitter

causing intense discomfort to one's skin she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means a shrewd operator in the real estate game, she made every buyer think they were getting the deal of the century

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective shrewd differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of shrewd are astute, perspicacious, and sagacious. While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

When is it sensible to use astute instead of shrewd?

While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

When could perspicacious be used to replace shrewd?

The meanings of perspicacious and shrewd largely overlap; however, perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

When might sagacious be a better fit than shrewd?

While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd, sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

Examples of shrewd in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Politically shrewd, organized, and savvy about how to circulate their message, the WCTU leaned on nativist and eugenic ideologies in their fight against alcohol to capitalize on the growing nativist sentiment. —

Elizabeth Marshall / Made By History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024 When shrewd photographers realized that the inconvenience of long exposure time could become an asset, detailed directions for creating these illusions proliferated. —

Andrea Kaston Tange, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 This local growth has only whetted appetites for international expansion – which brings us back to a certain guest of honor with a shrewd view of that particular concern. —

Ben Croll, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024 But the shrewd politics that got Democrats through the 2006 campaign did not prevent the Blagojevich hurricane on the horizon. —

Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shrewd

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd

Adjective

Right now, the hottest place for investors in this field is in smart start-ups searching for chemical mixtures that will capture CO2 more readily, release it more easily, and operate longer without needing to be replaced.

Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Its talky theatricality and soapy melodrama is bolstered by more political jargon than a CNN Election Night roundtable (and with smarter dialogue).

Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024