Synonyms of savvy

savvy 1 of 3

noun

as in skills

knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something

she's an excellent scholar of political science, but lacks the kind of savvy needed to run for public office

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skills
• experience
• expertise
• proficiency
• know-how
• chops
• moxie
• background
• mastery
• acquaintance
• familiarity
• intimacy
• conversance
• command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inexperience
• ignorance
• unfamiliarity
• unawareness

savvy

2 of 3

adjective

ˈsa-vē 

as in smart

having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

a particularly savvy investor, he was among the first to see the potential in tech stocks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

savvy

3 of 3

verb

as in to know

to have a clear idea of

the man growled, "Don't ever date my daughter again—you savvy?"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• know
• understand
• appreciate
• decipher
• recognize
• comprehend
• grasp
• see
• sense
• discern
• realize
• get
• perceive
• make
• conceive
• apprehend
• assimilate
• intuit
• dig
• seize
• cotton (to or on to)
• tumble (to)
• compass
• make out
• behold
• catch on (to)
• decode
• catch
• register
• grok
• twig
• cognize
• pick up on
• fathom
• absorb
• digest
• take in
• penetrate
• pierce

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• miss
• mistake
• misunderstand
• misread
• misinterpret
• misconstrue
• misapprehend
• misperceive
• misconceive

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of savvy

Noun

Beyond social savvy, Sephora was also a first-mover with Gen Z-favorite brands like Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury and Sol de Janeiro — the latter two which have more recently entered Ulta as well. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 19 Nov. 2024

While the media overflows with stories about Baby Boomers' retirement plans, Millennials' search for purpose, and Gen Z's digital savvy, one generation consistently fades into the background. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. —Samantha Neely, USA Today, 4 May 2025

The growth of Berkshire Hathaway into one of the world’s most valuable companies has been a beacon for how a portfolio of savvy investments and a commitment to solid operating principles can drive long-term wealth. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 3 May 2025

Verb

This wiped out $80 billion in value, whacking some hedge funds and lots of individuals, neither savvy enough to see the bubble. —Andy Kessler, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2022

Much of that comes from his experience and savvy as a runner, which will only continue to get better with age. —Dallas News, 4 Aug. 2022

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