clever

clever

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Pronunciation

/ˈklɛvər/.

• clev-: /klɛv/

• /k/: voiceless velar stop

• /l/: voiced lateral approximant

• /ɛ/: open-mid front unrounded vowel

• /v/: voiced labiodental fricative

• -er: /ər/

• /ər/: r-colored vowel (or schwa with r-coloring)

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Word Form Variations

• Positive (base form): clever (e.g., "She is a clever student.")

• Comparative: cleverer (e.g., "He is cleverer than his brother.")

• It's also acceptable to use "more clever" (e.g., "She is more clever than I thought."). While "cleverer" is generally preferred and widely used, especially in British English, "more clever" is also grammatically correct and sometimes sounds more natural to some speakers, particularly for longer two-syllable adjectives.

• Superlative: cleverest (e.g., "She is the cleverest person I know.")

• Similarly, "most clever" is also acceptable (e.g., "That was the most clever idea.").

Beyond these degrees of comparison, "clever" can also form:

• Adverb: cleverly (e.g., "He cleverly solved the puzzle.")

• Noun: cleverness (e.g., "Her cleverness was evident in her quick responses.")

• Adjective (informal/dialectal): cleverish (e.g., "He has a cleverish way about him.")

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adjective

1. Possessing quick mental faculty; quick-witted and astute in thought or action.

• Synonyms: intelligent, shrewd, astute, sharp, bright, smart, ingenious, resourceful, keen, discerning, sagacious, perspicacious

• Antonyms: dull, unintelligent, stupid, foolish, inept, dense, slow, naive, ignorant, witless

2. Displaying skill, ingenuity, or dexterity, often in a resourceful or inventive way.

• Synonyms: skillful, adroit, dexterous, artful, ingenious, inventive, proficient, masterful, masterful, handy, deft, nimble, expert

• Antonyms: clumsy, awkward, unskillful, inept, bungling, amateurish, fumbling

3. (Often informal, sometimes with a hint of disapproval) Artfully or cunningly designed; demonstrating a wily or tricky nature.

• Synonyms: cunning, wily, sly, crafty, artful, devious, tricky, astute, scheming, designing, insidious, manipulative

• Antonyms: straightforward, honest, naive, guileless, frank, open, innocent

Adverb

(Derived from the adjective, typically indicating the manner in which an action is performed.)

1. Cleverly: In a quick-witted, astute, or intelligent manner.

• Synonyms: intelligently, shrewdly, astutely, sharply, brightly, smartly, ingeniously, resourcefully, keenly, sagaciously, perspicaciously

• Antonyms: foolishly, stupidly, ineptly, dully, naively, ignorantly, witlessly

2. Cleverly: In a skillful, ingenious, or dexterous manner.

• Synonyms: skillfully, adroitly, dexterously, artfully, ingeniously, inventively, proficiently, masterfully, handily, deftly, nimbly, expertly

• Antonyms: clumsily, awkwardly, unskillfully, ineptly, bunglingly, amateurishly, fumblingly

3. Cleverly: In a cunning, wily, or tricky manner.

• Synonyms: cunningly, wily, slyly, craftily, artfully, deviously, trickily, astutely, schemingly, designingly, insidiously, manipulatively

• Antonyms: straightforwardly, honestly, naively, guilelessly, frankly, openly, innocently

Noun

(Derived from the adjective, referring to the quality or state of being clever.)

1. Cleverness: The quality of being quick-witted, astute, and intelligent.

• Synonyms: intelligence, shrewdness, astuteness, sharpness, brightness, smartness, ingenuity, resourcefulness, keenness, discernment, sagacity, perspicacity

• Antonyms: dullness, unintelligence, stupidity, foolishness, ineptness, denseness, slowness, naivety, ignorance, witlessness

2. Cleverness: The quality of displaying skill, ingenuity, or dexterity.

• Synonyms: skillfulness, adroitness, dexterity, artfulness, ingenuity, inventiveness, proficiency, masterfulness, handiness, deftness, nimbleness, expertise

• Antonyms: clumsiness, awkwardness, unskillfulness, ineptness, bungling, amateurishness

3. Cleverness: The quality of being artful, cunning, or tricky.

• Synonyms: cunning, wile, slyness, craftiness, artfulness, deviousness, trickiness, astuteness, scheming, designing, insidiousness, manipulation

• Antonyms: straightforwardness, honesty, naivety, guilelessness, frankness, openness, innocence

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Examples of Use

Books:

• "Hercule Poirot, with a characteristic twinkle in his eye, often remarked, 'It is the little grey cells, my friend, that are the most clever.'" (Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles) - Adjective, meaning intelligent.

• "The author weaves a clever narrative, full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very last page." (From a book review, though the specific book isn't cited, this is a common usage.) - Adjective, meaning ingenious or artfully designed.

Newspapers:

• "The government unveiled a clever new policy aimed at boosting local tourism by offering tax incentives to small businesses." (The Daily Nation, 2025) - Adjective, meaning ingenious or resourceful.

• "In a particularly clever move, the defense attorney managed to poke holes in the prosecution's seemingly watertight case." (The New York Times, 2025) - Adjective, meaning shrewd or astute.

Online Publications:

• "Elon Musk's latest startup is leveraging AI in a truly clever way to revolutionize urban transportation." (TechCrunch, 2025) - Adjective, meaning innovative or ingenious.

• "The article offers several clever hacks for organizing your small apartment, maximizing every inch of space." (Lifehacker.com, 2025) - Adjective, meaning practical and ingenious.

• "Social media algorithms are incredibly clever at predicting user preferences, often displaying content we didn't even know we wanted." (Wired.com, 2025) - Adjective, meaning sophisticated and intelligent in design.

Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Television/Film: "That was a clever disguise; I almost didn't recognize him!" (Dialogue from a spy thriller) - Adjective, meaning artful or cunning.

• Stand-up Comedy: "My dog is so clever, he's figured out how to open the fridge when no one's looking." (Joke by a comedian, often implies cunning or a surprising level of intelligence) - Adjective, meaning intelligent or resourceful.

• Video Games: "The AI in this game is remarkably clever, constantly adapting its strategy based on your moves." (Game review on IGN.com) - Adjective, meaning intelligent and adaptive.

• Music (Lyrics): "She had a clever way of making you feel special, even when she barely knew your name." (Lyric from a pop song, implying a charming or artful manner) - Adjective, meaning skillful or artful.

• Podcasts: "The guest speaker offered some incredibly clever insights into the psychology of consumer behavior." (From a marketing podcast) - Adjective, meaning insightful and intelligent.

General Public Discourse:

• "My son came up with a really clever solution to fix his broken toy." (Casual conversation between parents) - Adjective, meaning inventive or ingenious.

• "That was a clever remark; you really put him in his place." (Informal comment after a quick-witted retort) - Adjective, meaning sharp or quick-witted.

• "You have to be quite clever to navigate the bureaucracy here without getting frustrated." (Common observation about dealing with complex systems) - Adjective, meaning shrewd or resourceful.

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10 Famous Quotes Using Clever

1. "The difference between a smart man and a clever man is that a smart man knows what to say, while a clever man knows whether or not to say it." (Frank Siller)

2. "What is the most clever thing to do? To know how to use your talents and your circumstances to the best effect." (Marcus Aurelius)

3. "A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." (Albert Einstein, though often paraphrased and attributed to him)

4. "It is a clever person who can make a mistake once, but a fool who can make it twice." (Chinese Proverb)

5. "Art is a clever way of telling the truth." (Jean Cocteau)

6. "He was so clever, he could talk his way out of a paper bag." (Common idiom, often attributed to various speakers)

7. "You can be very clever and still be quite stupid." (The Doctor, Doctor Who)

8. "It's no use being clever, if you don't use your head." (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

9. "The truly clever person is the one who hides how clever he is." (Somerset Maugham)

10. "A clever person often finds a way where others see none." (Lesser-known quote, reflecting general wisdom)

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Etymology

The word "clever" has a bit of a tricky history, and its exact origins aren't perfectly clear. Think of it like a puzzle where some pieces are missing!

It first popped up in written English around the early 13th century (around 1220s). Back then, its meaning was quite different from how we mostly use it today. It seemed to be linked to the idea of being "quick to seize" or "dexterous", especially with one's hands or claws. Imagine a creature that's quick and skillful at grabbing things – that's the kind of "clever" they were talking about. Some scholars suggest it might come from an Old English word like "clifer," which meant "claw" or "hand." So, it was about physical agility.

Over time, the word evolved. By the late 16th century, it started to mean "manually skillful" or "handy," likely through regional dialects. You might describe someone who was good at fixing things with their hands as "clever."

It wasn't until the early 18th century (around 1704) that "clever" gained its modern main meaning: "possessing mental agility" or "intelligent." So, it slowly shifted from describing physical skill to intellectual sharpness.

There are also ideas that it might be connected to words from other Germanic languages, like Dutch or Low German, meaning "skillful" or "lively." It's a word that really seems to have grown and changed its meaning quite a bit over the centuries, making its full family tree a bit of a mystery!

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Clever

Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "clever" or its related concepts:

Phrases & Idioms with "Clever":

1. A clever trick: A resourceful or ingenious method to achieve something, often with a hint of deception.

2. Clever as a fox: Extremely cunning, sly, and resourceful.

3. To make a clever remark: To say something witty, insightful, or quick-witted.

4. A clever move: A shrewd or strategic action taken in a game, negotiation, or situation.

5. Too clever by half: Someone who is excessively clever in a way that is irritating or self-defeating, often implying a lack of wisdom.

6. Clever hands: Referring to someone who is manually dexterous or skillful with their hands.

7. To be clever with words: To be articulate, witty, or persuasive in speech or writing.

Lesser-Known/Original Phrases/Synonymous Idioms for Similar Effect:

1. A stroke of cleverness: An instance of sudden ingenuity or a brilliant idea.

2. To put a clever spin on something: To present information or an idea in a way that makes it seem more appealing or advantageous.

3. Sharp as a tack: (Using a synonym) Very intelligent and quick-witted.

4. Quick on the uptake: (Using a synonym) Able to understand things quickly and easily.

5. To have one's wits about one: (Using a synonym) To be alert and able to think clearly, especially in a difficult situation.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of clever from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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