savvy

¹sav·vy

verb \ˈsa-vē\

sav·viedsav·vy·ing

Definition of SAVVY

: understand

Examples of SAVVY

1. <the man growled, “Don't ever date my daughter again—you savvy?”>

Origin of SAVVY

alteration of sabi know (in English-based creoles and pidgins), from Portuguese sabe he knows, from saber to know, from Latin sapere to be wise — more at sage

First Known Use: 1785

Related to SAVVY

Synonyms: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, comprehend, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand

Antonyms: miss

Related Words: absorb, digest, take in; realize; fathom, penetrate, pierce

Near Antonyms: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

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Rhymes with SAVVY

navvy