The potter's lost his cunning.
Source: tatoeba (44706)
Cunning
/ˈkʌnɪŋ/
Synonyms for "cunning" (349 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (70)
Strong matches (105)
craftsmanshipcraftycrookedcunningnesscutedaedaldaedaliandaintydeceitdeceitfuldeceitfulnessdeceptiondeepdeep-laiddeftdeftnessdelicatedesigningdeviousdeviousness
Show 67 more words
dexteritydexterousdexterousnessdextrousdextrousnessdiplomacydiplomaticdishonestdishonestydisingenuousdissemblancedissimulationdoubledouble dealingdouble-dealingdouble-faceddouble-mindeddouble-tongueddoublehearteddoublenessdoubleness of heartdownyduplicitousduplicityefficiencyevasionevasiveexcellentexpertexpertiseexpertnessfacilityfaithlessfaithlessnessfalsefalse-principledfalseheartedfalseheartednessfalsenessfancyfelinefinaglingfinessefoxinessfoxyfraudulentfurtivefurtivenessgamesmanshipgoodgoodishgracegracefulgripguileguilefulguilefulnesshandinesshandyhorsemanshiphypocrisyimprobityindirectindirectioningeniousingeniousnessingenuity
Related words (174)
insidiousinsidiousnessinsincereintelligentinventiveinventivenesskeenknow howknow-howknowinglow cunningmachiavellianmachiavellianismmachiavellicmagisterialmarksmanshipmasterfulmasterlymastershipmastery
Show 116 more words
mercurialmignonneatno meanone upmanshippawkinesspawkyperfidiouspoliticpractical abilityprettyprofessionalproficiencyproficientprowessquickquicknessquite somereadinessreadyresourceresourcefulresourcefulnesssatanic cunningsavoir-fairesavvyschemingseamanshipserpentinesharpsharpnessshiftinessshiftyshrewdshrewdnessskillskillfulskillfulnessslickslicknessslimslipperyslyslynesssmartsmoothsnakysneak attacksneakinesssneakysomesophisticalsophistrystatesmanlikestealthstealthystrategicstylestylishsubtilesubtilitysubtiltysubtlesubtletysupplesurreptitioussurreptitiousnesstacttactfultactfulnesstacticaltechnical brilliancetechnical masterytechnical skilltechniquethe compleatthe completetimingtreacheroustreacherousnesstreacherytrickinesstrickishtricksytrickytwo facedtwo-facedtwo-facednessunderhandunderhandedunderhandednessunscrupulousvirtuosityvirtuosovulpinewarywell donewell-consideredwell-contrivedwell-designedwell-devisedwell-donewell-inventedwell-laidwell-plannedwell-reasonedwell-thought-outwell-weighedwilewilinesswilywisewitwizardryworkmanlikeworkmanship
Noun(19 words)
Adjective(18 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: craftiness, guile, craft, foxiness, slyness.
- Sentence evidence is available for cunning, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "cunning".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "cunning"
Keep "cunning" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "cunning" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "cunning", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "cunning" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
14 entriesMore specific
13 entriesCollocations
9 entriescunning argumentcunning devicecunning disguisecunning foxcunning manipulationcunning plancunning rusecunning strategycunning use
Inflections
2 entriesmore cunningmost cunning
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
61 translations across 24 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- πανοῦργος noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Bulgarian
4 entries- коварство noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- лукавство noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- сръчност noun (aptitude)
- умение noun (aptitude)
Chukchi
1 entries- гыттагыргын noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Dutch
2 entries- kundigheid noun (aptitude)
- sluwheid noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Esperanto
1 entries- ruza noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Finnish
3 entries- kierous noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- oveluus noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- taitavuus noun (aptitude)
French
2 entries- fourberie noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- sournoiserie noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
German
1 entries- Gerissenheit noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Greek
1 entries- πονηριά noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Italian
2 entries- furberia noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- furbizia noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Japanese
2 entries- 狡猾 noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- 狡猾 noun (aptitude)
Latin
2 entries- astus noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- versūtia noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Macedonian
1 entries- итрина noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Middle English
2 entries- sleighte noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- sleighte noun (aptitude)
Māori
1 entries- rauhanga noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Norwegian
1 entries- snedighet noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Ottoman Turkish
2 entries- شیطانلق noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- قورنازلق noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Polish
4 entries- chytrość noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- cwaniactwo noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- przebiegłość noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- spryt noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Portuguese
4 entries- ardil noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- astúcia noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- esperteza noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- habilidade noun (aptitude)
Romanian
2 entries- capacitate noun (aptitude)
- viclenie noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Russian
4 entries- иску́сство noun (aptitude)
- кова́рство noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- уме́ние noun (aptitude)
- хи́трость noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Spanish
4 entries- ardid noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- ardil noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- astucia noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- cuquería noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Swedish
2 entries- list noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- slughet noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
Telugu
2 entries- కపటము noun (skill of being sly or deceitful)
- తరహా noun (aptitude)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
The Sphinx had eaten hundreds of people on their way to the city of Thebes, because they could not answer the riddle the cunning Sphinx had asked them.
Source: tatoeba (51820)
It is said that the fox is more cunning than any other animal.
Source: tatoeba (240003)
He makes believe that he is a practical statesman, but in really he is a cunning politician.
Source: tatoeba (298978)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "cunning"?
Closest matches include craftiness, guile, craft, foxiness, slyness.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "cunning"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.