clever

1 of 2

adjective

clev·​er ˈkle-vər 

1

a

: skillful or adroit in using the hands or body : nimble

clever fingers

b

: mentally quick and resourceful

a clever young lawyer

2

: marked by wit or ingenuity

a clever solution

a clever idea

the play's clever dialogue

3

dialect

a

: good

b

: easy to use or handle

cleverish

ˈkle-v(ə-)rish 

adjective

cleverly

ˈkle-vər-lē 

adverb

cleverness

ˈkle-vər-nəs 

noun

cleverness

2 of 2

noun

clev·​er·​ness ˈkle-vər-nəs 

plural -es

: the quality of being clever

especially : adroitness

Synonyms of clever

Adjective

• innovative
• imaginative
• inventive
• creative

Choose the Right Synonym for clever

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.

clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

synonyms see in addition intelligent

Examples of clever in a Sentence

Adjective

All of Laptsev went to stare at the bride-to-be—she was no beauty, but everyone could see that she was clever, sophisticated … —Isaac Bashevis Singer, New Yorker, 29 Sept. 2003

… the three of them may give Gray Davis, who was too clever for his own good, his comeuppance. —Garrison Keillor, Time, 25 Aug. 2003

Some thought he had no redeeming value whatsoever. A sociopath. A clever manipulator … —Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2002

Those who can't write poetry, write clever letters to the editor. Those who can't write clever letters to the editor, write angry letters to the editor. —Matt Groening, Utne Reader, November/December 1987

The old lady was clever enough and he thought that if she had started from any of the right premises, more might have been expected of her. —Flannery O'Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge, 1967

Some cats are clever enough to figure out how to operate doorknobs.

That's the cleverest idea I've heard yet!

She found a clever hiding place for the letter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Octopuses are as clever, in their own way, as such famously brainy animals as crows, dolphins or chimpanzees. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026

There were plenty of clever nods to gaming tropes and terrific comic performances by the cast. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026

Destin Daniel Cretton stages the Spidey action with a clever, leaping grandeur that delivers what these movies need to. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 July 2026

If a group plan feels tense, don’t patch it with clever wording alone. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing clever

• as clever as they come
• clever clogs
• too clever by half

Rhymes for clever

• bever
• ever
• haver
• lever
• never
• rever
• sever
• cantilever
• howsoever
• whatsoever
• whensoever
• wheresoever

Kids Definition

clever

adjective

clev·​er ˈklev-ər 

1

: showing skill especially in using one's hands

clever fingers

2

: quick in learning

a clever pupil

3

: showing wit or imagination

a clever idea

cleverish

-(ə-)rish 

adjective

cleverly

-ər-lē 

adverb

cleverness

-ər-nəs 

noun