ASTUTE Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

astute

adjective

ə-ˈstüt

Definition of astute next

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of astute So to overturn the deficit and produce a performance, which was one of their best, most tactically and physically astute of the season, felt significant. —

Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 May 2026 An astute judge of talent, Metheny has hired and nurtured a fair number of outstanding musicians in his bands over the years from far and near. —

George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 Tactful and politically astute, Pakula had earlier directed The Parallax View, the Warren Beatty thriller about political assassinations. —

Peter Bart, Deadline, 7 May 2026 The Flyers' 1-0 Game 6 overtime victory over the Penguins on Wednesday night served as early validation that general manager Danny Briere was astute in orchestrating an overdue rebuild and the payoff was a first playoff series win in a full NHL season since 2012. —

CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for astute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for astute

Adjective

Lane pointed to Adams State’s direct admissions program as a smart intervention that attracts students who might have otherwise overlooked college.

— Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
The next generation of commerce may not belong solely to the smartest AI models, but to the companies who are most capable of balancing complexity on the business side, while delivering trust and simplicity on the consumer side.

— Jacques Ledbetter, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026