clever

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: clev=er
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses) (in NT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

clever, a. [Origin uncertain. Cf. OE. cliver eager, AS. clyfer (in comp.) cloven; or clifer a claw, perh. connected with E. cleave to divide, split, the meaning of E. clever perh. coming from the idea of grasping, seizing (with the mind).].

•  Possessing quickness of intellect, skill, dexterity, talent, or adroitness; expert.  [1913 Webster]

  "Though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds."  [1913 Webster]

  "Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever."  [1913 Webster]
•  Showing skill or adroitness in the doer or former; as, a clever speech; a clever trick.  Byron.  [1913 Webster]
•  Having fitness, propriety, or suitableness.  [1913 Webster]

  "“T would sound more clever
  To me and to my heirs forever."  [1913 Webster]
•  Well-shaped; handsome.  Arbuthnot.  [1913 Webster]
•  Good-natured; obliging.

Syn. -- See Smart.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

clever, adj. (cleverer, cleverest)
1 skilful, talented; quick to understand and learn.
2 adroit, dextrous.
3 (of the doer or the thing done) ingenious, cunning.

Idiom

clever Dick (or clogs etc.) colloq. a person who is or purports to be smart or knowing. not too clever Austral. colloq. unwell, indisposed.

Derivative

cleverly adv. cleverness n.

Etymology

ME, = adroit: perh. rel. to CLEAVE(2), with sense 'apt to seize'

THESAURUS

clever

Attic, Daedalian, Machiavellian, Machiavellic, able, acute, adept, adroit, agile, alert, all-around, amusing, apt, arch, artful, artistic, astute, authoritative, biting, brainy, bravura, bright, brilliant, cagey, canny, capable, clean, competent, coordinated, coruscating, crack, crackerjack, crafty, creative, cunning, cute, daedal, dazzling, deceitful, deep, deep-laid, deft, designing, dexterous, dextrous, diplomatic, discerning, docile, droll, educable, entertaining, excellent, expert, facetious, facile, fanciful, fancy, feline, formable, foxy, funny, gifted, good, goodish, graceful, guileful, handy, humorous, humorsome, imaginative, impressionable, ingenious, insidious, instructable, intelligent, inventive, jesting, jocose, jocular, joking, joky, joshing, keen, keen-witted, knowing, laughable, magisterial, malleable, many-sided, masterful, masterly, moldable, mordant, motivated, neat, neat-handed, nimble, nimble-witted, no dumbbell, no mean, not born yesterday, original, pawky, perceptive, piquant, plastic, pleasing, pliable, pointed, politic, pretty, professional, proficient, prompt, pungent, qualified, quick, quick-thinking, quick-witted, quite some, racy, rapier-like, ready, receptive, resourceful, ripe for instruction, risible, sagacious, sage, salt, salty, scheming, schoolable, scintillating, serpentine, sharp, sharp-witted, shifty, shrewd, skilled, skillful, slick, slim, slippery, sly, smart, smooth, snaky, sneaky, some, sophistical, sparkling, sprightly, statesmanlike, stealthy, steel-trap, strategic, stylish, subtile, subtle, supple, susceptible, tactful, tactical, talented, teachable, the compleat, the complete, thirsty for knowledge, trainable, trickish, tricksy, tricky, versatile, virtuoso, vulpine, wary, well-considered, well-contrived, well-designed, well-done, well-invented, well-laid, well-planned, well-reasoned, well-thought-out, well-weighed, whimsical, wicked, willing, wily, wise, witty, workmanlike

ROGET THESAURUS

clever

Skill

N skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke, skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like, skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo Marte, to the best of one's abilities, ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher son, expertus metuit, es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein C, heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute, if you have lemons, make lemonade.

Wisdom

N intelligence, wisdom, intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding, cuteness, sabe, savvy, intellect, nous, parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect, acuteness, acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy, perspicacity, discernment, due sense of, good judgment, discrimination, cunning, refinement, head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head, eagle eye, eagle- glance, eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk, wisdom, sapience, sense, good sense, common sense, horse sense, plain sense, rationality, reason, reasonableness, judgment, solidity, depth, profundity, caliber, enlarged views, reach of thought, compass of thought, enlargement of mind, genius, inspiration, geist, fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul, talent, prudence, vigilance, tact, foresight, sobriety, self-possession, aplomb, ballast, a bright thought, not a bad idea, Solomon-like wisdom, intelligent, quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp, quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp-eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted, wide- awake, canny, shrewd, astute, clear-headed, farsighted, discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing, argute, quick-witted, nimble-witted, needle-witted, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, alive to, clever, arch, pas si bete, acute, wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens, judicious, strong- minded, unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted, unprepossessed, undazzled, unperplexed, unwarped judgment, impartial, equitable, fair, cool, cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed, long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting, solid, deep, profound, oracular, heaven-directed, heaven-born, prudent, sober, stand, solid, considerate, politic, wise in one's generation, watchful, provident, in advance of one' age, wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon, wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious, well- thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised, prudent, politic, expedient, aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet, but with the morning cool reflection came, flosculi sententiarum, les affaires font les hommes, mas vale saber que haber, mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit, nosce te, gnothi seauton, nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit, sapere aude, victrix fortunae sapientia.