Synonyms for cunning
ˈkʌn ɪŋcun·ning

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. cunning

   A contrivance or device may be either good or bad. A cheat is a mean advantage in a bargain; a fraud, any form of covert robbery or injury. Imposture is a deceitful contrivance for securing charity, credit, or consideration. A stratagem or maneuver may be of the good against the bad, as it were a skilful movement of war. A wile is usually but not necessarily evil.

   E'en children followed with endearing wile.

   Goldsmith Deserted Village, l. 184.

   A trick is often low, injurious, and malicious; we say a mean trick; the word is sometimes used playfully with less than its full meaning. A ruse or a blind may be quite innocent and harmless. An artifice is a carefully and delicately prepared contrivance for doing indirectly what one could not well do directly. A device is something studied out for promoting an end, as in a mechanism; the word is used of indirect action, often, but not necessarily directed to an evil, selfish, or injurious end. Finesse is especially subtle contrivance, delicate artifice, whether for good or evil. Compare FRAUD.

   Synonyms:
   art, artifice, blind, cheat, contrivance, craft, device, dodge, finesse, fraud, guile, imposture, invention, machination, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, subterfuge, trick, wile

   Antonyms:
   artlessness, candor, fairness, frankness, guilelessness, honesty, ingenuousness, innocence, openness, simplicity, sincerity, truth

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.2 / 6 votes

1. craft, craftiness, cunning, foxiness, guile, slyness, wilinessnoun

   shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

   Synonyms:
   foxiness, chicanery, workmanship, shenanigan, slyness, craftiness, wiliness, trickery, chicane, craftsmanship, trade, craft, deceitfulness, wile, guile

   Antonyms:
   unattractive, artless, maladroit

2. cunningadjective

   crafty artfulness (especially in deception)

   Synonyms:
   guile, craftiness, foxiness, wiliness, slyness, craft

   Antonyms:
   maladroit, unattractive, artless

3. cunning, cuteadjective

   attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness

   "a cute kid with pigtails"; "a cute little apartment"; "cunning kittens"; "a cunning baby"

   Synonyms:
   tricky, dodgy, clever, knavish, ingenious, sly, cute, guileful, wily, foxy, crafty, slick, tricksy, precious

   Antonyms:
   artless, unattractive, maladroit

4. crafty, cunning, dodgy, foxy, guileful, knavish, slick, sly, tricksy, tricky, wilyadjective

   marked by skill in deception

   "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney"

   Synonyms:
   tricksy, slippery, silky, clever, dicey, slick, sly, cute, satiny, chancy, sleek, catchy, ingenious, chanceful, pat, crafty, silklike, wily, guileful, knavish, dodgy, silken, glib, tricky, foxy

   Antonyms:
   unattractive, maladroit, artless

5. clever, cunning, ingeniousadjective

   showing inventiveness and skill

   "a clever gadget"; "the cunning maneuvers leading to his success"; "an ingenious solution to the problem"

   Synonyms:
   tricksy, canny, clever, cagy, slick, sly, cute, cagey, wily, apt, ingenious, knavish, crafty, guileful, dodgy, tricky, foxy

   Antonyms:
   unattractive, maladroit, artless

Matched Categories

1. • Shrewdness

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:4.3 / 4 votes

1. cunningadjective

   Synonyms:
   crafty, artful, sly, astute, subtle, wily, shrewd, sharp, designing, intriguing, deceitful, TRICKY, crooked, diplomatic, machiavelian

2. cunningnoun

   Synonyms:
   craft, art, shrewdness, artifice, deceit, duplicity, subtlety, intrigue

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cunningadjective

   Synonyms:
   artful, crafty, sly, wily, arch, designing, deceitful, intriguing, curious, ingenious, skillful, dexterous

2. cunningnoun

   Synonyms:
   craft, deceit, craftiness, subtlety, wiliness

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:4.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "cunning":

   ruse, crafty, shrewd, astute, wily, clever, sly, trick, sneaky, foxy, smart, devious, subtle

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How to use cunning in a sentence?

1. Chris Tucker:

   He was really smart and he was cunning at times, and his brother . . . was definitely cunning.

2. A. E. Housman:

   In every American there is an air of incorrigible innocence, which seems to conceal a diabolical cunning.

3. Nic Cheeseman:

   Kenyatta has pulled the classic divide-and-rule move of the cunning president, creating as many potential alliances as possible in order to avoid empowering any one successor, this will help him to manage Gideon Moi, William Ruto and others with their own presidential ambitions.

4. William Blake:

   The weak in courage is strong in cunning.

5. Cesare Pavese:

   Literature is a defense against the attacks of life. It says to life: You can't deceive me. I know your habits, foresee and enjoy watching all your reactions, and steal your secret by involving you in cunning obstructions that halt your normal flow.