Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of cunning
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
- a cunning, underhanded plan to win the election by preying on people's fears and prejudices
Synonyms for cunning
Words Related to cunning
- crooked,
- deceitful,
- deceptive,
- dishonest,
- fraudulent,
- insinuating,
- knavish,
- Machiavellian,
- oblique,
- serpentine,
- shady,
- shifty,
- slippery,
- sneaky,
- treacherous,
- underhand,
- underhanded,
- unscrupulous
Near Antonyms for cunning
Antonyms for cunning
2
skillful with the hands
- only the most cunning cabinetmaker could have crafted such a beautifully proportioned chest of drawers
Synonyms for cunning
Words Related to cunning
Near Antonyms for cunning
Antonyms for cunning
cunning
nounSynonyms & Antonyms of cunning (Entry 2 of 2)
1
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
- the cunning with which Tom Sawyer was able to get others to whitewash the fence for him
Synonyms for cunning
- artfulness,
- artifice,
- caginess
- (also cageyness),
- canniness,
- craft,
- craftiness,
- cunningness,
- deviousness,
- foxiness,
- guile,
- guilefulness,
- slickness,
- slyness,
- sneakiness,
- subtleness,
- subtlety,
- wiliness
Words Related to cunning
2
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
- the unmatched cunning of the scout who led them safely through the trackless wilderness
Synonyms for cunning
Words Related to cunning
Near Antonyms for cunning
Antonyms for cunning
3
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
- used cunning and subterfuge to lure unwitting victims into the fraudulent scheme
Synonyms for cunning
Words Related to cunning
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Antonyms for cunning
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for cunning
The first known use of cunning was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century