canny
8
6.3
- adjective
- /ˈkæni/
- UK
:
astuto
- She is a canny investor who always thinks carefully before making a decision.
He verbally is incredibly fluent, like very, very canny communicator.
- He verbally is incredibly fluent, like very, very canny communicator.
Examples
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It would almost certainly have warned his shrewd and canny father, King James.
-
- She's a canny lass, is she not?
-
Sir Charles was a canny Yorkshire man who decided a pretty penny could be made from this place.
-
For one thing, he had been canny enough to get out of the market before the October '87 crash.
Fiction book (1991) -
Ruysch was an extremely canny businessman who knew how to promote his own causes.
Academic text (1996) -
His canny handling of twists of fate and humor only adds to reader satisfaction.
Academic text (2011) -
Brown's skill is in persuading the canny reader that, nonetheless, the revelation will be worth the wait.
Blog text (2) -
Its very existence, the fruit of canny Spanish espionage, testifies to Fort St. George's importance.
Academic text (2006) -
The canny shopkeeper knew how to attract customers without reducing prices.
-
Using canny logic, he managed to negotiate a better deal for himself.
Synonyms
573
1.7
Understands things quickly and finds smart solutions
50
4.7
Good at judging situations and making smart business decisions
15
7.5
Careful not to give away information or show their plans
4
7.5
Good at handling difficult situations and doing things with your hands
2
8.6
Being very wise and good at making decisions
Careful and clever in a gentle, friendly way
Very careful about what they say and show to avoid trouble or gain advantage
Antonyms
How Shrewd
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word canny comes from older Scots and English words that meant 'able' or 'to know', and it is like the everyday word can. So if someone is canny, they are clever and careful and 'able' to deal with money or business wisely.