What does "shrewd" mean?
Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
Shrewd
/ʃɹuːd/ adj, slang
adj, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
- Grammar: shrewd is listed as adj, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: astute, calculating, scheming, acute.
- Useful contrasts: foolish, frank, honest.
- Usage evidence: He may be a poor talker and far from shrewd, but I like him all the better for that.
How to use "shrewd"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shrewd" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shrewd" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shrewd" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shrewd" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shrewd" is acting as adj, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "astute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shrewd", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
- 2 Artful, tricky or cunning.
- 3 streetwise, street-smart. informal
"Willie is very aware of this fact and lets Johnny Attell know that there is a fly in the ointment, and Johnny, who is a very shrewd article, has his chauffeur drive him to Bradford Street so he can change the kid's mind."
- 4 Knowledgeable, intelligent, keen.
"The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott."
- 5 Nigh accurate.
"a shrewd guess"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Severe, intense, hard.
"a shrewd blow, or assault"
- 7 Sharp, snithy, piercing.
"a shrewd wind"
- 8 Bad, evil, threatening. archaic
"Portia: There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper, That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek: Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Could turn so much the constitution Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]"
- 9 Portending, boding. obsolete
- 10 Noxious, scatheful, mischievous. archaic
"They were wont to please the Fairies, that they might doe them no shrewd turnes, by sweeping clean the Hearth and setting by it […]"
- 11 Abusive, shrewish. obsolete
- 12 Scolding, satirical, sharp. archaic
"Leonato: By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue."
Adjective
- 1 marked by practical hardheaded intelligence wordnet
- 2 acting with a specific goal wordnet
Example
"He may be a poor talker and far from shrewd, but I like him all the better for that."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shrewd"?
Common synonyms include: astute, calculating, scheming, acute, adroit, adroit.
How do you use "shrewd" in a sentence?
He may be a poor talker and far from shrewd, but I like him all the better for that.
How do you pronounce "shrewd"?
Pronounced /ʃɹuːd/.
Etymology
From Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English sċrēawa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent to shrew + -ed. More at shrew. The sense of "cunning" developed in early 16ᵗʰ c., gradually gaining a positive connotation by 17ᵗʰ c.