Synonyms of astute

astute

adjective

ə-ˈstüt 

as in smart

having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

a police detective known to be an astute judge of character

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smart
• shrewd
• savvy
• wise
• sharp
• intelligent
• clever
• brilliant
• experienced
• knowing
• veteran
• hardheaded
• keen
• canny
• heady
• clear-eyed
• cunning
• clear-sighted
• sharp-witted
• quick
• perceptive
• bright
• insightful
• subtle
• sagacious
• wily
• perspicacious
• slick
• sly
• artful
• discerning
• hard-boiled
• crafty
• cagey
• tricky
• devious
• resourceful
• foxy
• sage
• guileful
• percipient
• ingenious
• pawky
• sapient
• nimble
• apt
• brainy
• discriminating
• discriminative
• agile
• alert
• dodgy
• sharp-eyed
• quick-witted
• calculating
• sharp-sighted
• scheming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• naive
• ingenuous
• guileless
• unknowing
• artless
• gullible
• innocent
• unwise
• exploitable
• unperceptive
• obtuse
• dense
• dumb
• simple
• stupid
• foolish
• slow
• unintelligent
• dull
• idiotic
• dopey
• thoughtless
• ignorant
• uninformed
• silly
• feebleminded
• brain-dead
• brainless
• moronic
• thickheaded
• weak-minded
• imbecile
• witless
• dim-witted
• gormless
• knuckleheaded
• slow-witted
• softheaded
• empty-headed
• half-witted
• lamebrain
• airheaded
• lunkheaded
• thick-witted
• birdbrained

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective astute differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of astute are perspicacious, sagacious, and shrewd. While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

When could perspicacious be used to replace astute?

While in some cases nearly identical to astute, perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

When might sagacious be a better fit than astute?

In some situations, the words sagacious and astute are roughly equivalent. However, sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

When would shrewd be a good substitute for astute?

Although the words shrewd and astute have much in common, shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of astute

The audience is in on the mockery of this dim-witted man, whose astute wife can see right through him. — Stephanie Vander Wel, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026

There is too much going on here for this novel to work, but Andersen is an uncommon writer, a skilled historical novelist as well as an astute cultural observer and historical interpreter. — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Brown is clearly an empath who can read people in an astute way. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

The astute reader may have noticed that these soft skills, while presented as central to future leadership, as not exactly new. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

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