Synonyms of intelligent

intelligent

adjective

in-ˈte-lə-jənt 

1

as in smart

having or showing quickness of mind

proud parents typically insist that their child is intelligent way beyond his or her years

his intelligent response to the emergency averted a disaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smart
• clever
• quick
• brilliant
• fast
• exceptional
• bright
• sharp
• keen
• educated
• skilled
• wise
• nimble
• brainy
• alert
• quick-witted
• hyperintelligent
• cunning
• supersmart
• sharp-witted
• literate
• resourceful
• sensible
• ultrasmart
• insightful
• perceptive
• creative
• astute
• cerebral
• ingenious
• acute
• knowledgeable
• schooled
• learned
• savvy
• sagacious
• erudite
• informed
• logical
• rational
• scholarly
• discerning
• apt
• trained
• judicious
• prudent
• inventive
• knowing
• perspicacious
• reasonable
• sound
• sane
• genial
• sapient
• well-read
• shrewd
• heady
• wily
• crafty
• highbrow
• percipient
• sage
• foxy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unintelligent
• dumb
• stupid
• dense
• simple
• slow
• mindless
• brainless
• obtuse
• opaque
• soft
• vacuous
• dopey
• thick
• dull
• dim
• fatuous
• witless
• doltish
• brain-dead
• senseless
• weak-minded
• boneheaded
• thickheaded
• pinheaded
• dunderheaded
• softheaded
• foolish
• dorky
• feebleminded
• simpleminded
• idiotic
• silly
• slow-witted
• ignorant
• dim-witted
• unsmart
• moronic
• imbecile
• empty-headed
• gormless
• airheaded
• uneducated
• bubbleheaded
• half-witted
• knuckleheaded
• illiterate
• uninformed
• lunkheaded
• lamebrain
• thick-witted
• birdbrained
• unthinking
• chuckleheaded
• unbrilliant
• unintellectual
• nonintellectual
• untaught
• unacademic
• absurd
• insane
• lowbrow
• mad
• zany
• unwise
• crazy
• nutty
• preposterous
• wacky
• nonsensical
• cuckoo
• kooky
• loony
• fool
• daffy
• asinine
• dippy
• sappy
• daft
• harebrained
• half-baked
• balmy
• cockeyed
• boobish
• screwball
• crackpot
• dotty
• featherheaded
• tomfool

2

as in rational

having the ability to reason

there is some debate over whether dolphins are intelligent animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rational
• reasoning
• reasonable
• thinking
• logical
• mental
• analytic
• intellectual
• cerebral
• practical
• sensible
• cognitive
• brainy
• sane
• highbrow
• levelheaded
• cognitional
• highbrowed
• sober

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unintelligent
• irrational
• unreasonable
• unthinking
• nonrational
• dense
• dumb
• stupid
• unreasoning
• slow
• mindless
• obtuse
• brainless
• dull
• dopey
• fatuous
• senseless
• nonthinking
• dorky
• illogical
• doltish
• invalid
• thickheaded
• nonsensical
• fallacious
• groundless
• half-witted

3

as in discreet

having or showing good judgment and restraint especially in conduct or speech

the only intelligent response to such a tasteless joke is to quickly change the subject

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discreet
• cautious
• prudent
• judicious
• sensible
• circumspect
• judgmatic
• wise
• sane
• foresighted
• astute
• discerning
• sapient
• chary
• discriminating
• sagacious
• cozy
• perspicacious
• sage
• shrewd
• foresightful
• senseful
• provident
• forehanded
• forethoughtful
• canny

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• careless
• imprudent
• injudicious
• indiscreet
• rash
• heedless
• foolish
• shortsighted
• improvident
• unwise
• incautious

Synonym Chooser

How is the word intelligent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of intelligent are alert, clever, and quick-witted. While all these words mean "mentally keen or quick," intelligent stresses success in coping with new situations and solving problems.

an intelligent person could assemble it fast

When is alert a more appropriate choice than intelligent?

While in some cases nearly identical to intelligent, alert stresses quickness in perceiving and understanding.

alert to new technology

When would clever be a good substitute for intelligent?

Although the words clever and intelligent have much in common, clever implies native ability or aptness and sometimes suggests a lack of more substantial qualities.

clever with words

When might quick-witted be a better fit than intelligent?

The words quick-witted and intelligent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quick-witted implies promptness in finding answers in debate or in devising expedients in moments of danger or challenge.

no match for his quick-witted opponent

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of intelligent

Sullivan’s quick burst, intelligent combination play and dribbling ability were on display Wednesday. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

That so many otherwise intelligent people missed the warning signs is a testament to the power of his message and the force of his charisma. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Verizon’s Anil Guntupali said existing 5G signals can provide useful sensing data when paired with intelligent software. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Deploying renewables paired with intelligent energy conservation and grid management, individuals, businesses, municipalities, and entire countries are earnestly curbing their CO2 emissions. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026