CLEVER Synonyms: 343 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'clever' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of clever are adroit , cunning , and ingenious . While all these words mean "having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving," clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude. // a person clever with horses

Q: When might 'adroit' be a better fit than 'clever'?

The words adroit and clever can be used in similar contexts, but adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties. // an adroit negotiator

Q: Where would 'cunning' be a reasonable alternative to 'clever'?

The meanings of cunning and clever largely overlap; however, cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating. // a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

Q: When is it sensible to use 'ingenious' instead of 'clever'?

While the synonyms ingenious and clever are close in meaning, ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something. // an ingenious software engineer

clever

adjective

ˈkle-vər

Definition of clever

as in innovative

showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing an inventor who was constantly coming up with clever devices for doing everyday chores

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intelligent

having or showing quickness of mind a clever student figured out a trick to do the assignment faster

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cunning

skillful with the hands the Shakers were clever artisans who created many ingenious and highly useful devices

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in witty

given to or marked by mature intelligent humor a clever joke that requires a little bit of thought on the part of the listener

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inventive

having the skill and imagination to create new things I wonder what clever person thought of the digital camera

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective clever differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of clever are adroit, cunning, and ingenious. While all these words mean "having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving," clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

When might adroit be a better fit than clever?

The words adroit and clever can be used in similar contexts, but adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

Where would cunning be a reasonable alternative to clever?

The meanings of cunning and clever largely overlap; however, cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

When is it sensible to use ingenious instead of clever?

While the synonyms ingenious and clever are close in meaning, ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

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 clever Like James himself, the men are clever and bookish, writing letters or diaries, reading voraciously, and imagining themselves into tales of romance and Biblical comeuppance. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Putilich | Istock | Getty Images Analysts and pundits in finance have an endless supply of clever, simplistic explanations for complex market movements. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 However, Flit’s decision to stick with 6061 aluminum is a clever engineering switch. — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026 White suggests coming up with clever or punny team names that add to the lighthearted atmosphere. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clever

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clever

Adjective

This is why counting AI pilots tells us little about whether an organization is becoming more innovative.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Her work brings together fashion, technology and industrial application, with a particular focus on more responsible and innovative approaches to garment finishing.

— Alice Tonello, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of innovative

Adjective

Our hardware-agnostic capabilities expedite industrial adoption of Physical AI, while building the foundation that will support the next generation of intelligent robotic systems, including industrial humanoids.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Xiaomi moves beyond Nvidia Xiaomi’s existing electric vehicles have relied on Nvidia hardware for their intelligent-driving systems.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of intelligent

Adjective

Supporters of the administration view this back and forth as a cunning ploy to buy time for the United States to position itself more advantageously for a confrontation.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Owen is bamboozled by a cunning opportunist, handcuffed, and robbed in his underwear.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

From song to screen With her southern twang, witty charm and stunning looks, Parton was a natural in front of the camera.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
MacDonald and editor Phil Hignett have a keen, witty sense of how the online realm crashes offline living, seamlessly integrating deadly-accurate TikTok parodies into the film’s breezy narrative flow.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of witty

Adjective

This was a very inventive opening sequence, but the crowd sat quietly through most of it.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Before that comes a vast and dramatically static stretch of what speculative-fiction circles often call ‘world-building’— a full, inventive, elaborately detailed portrait of Andersen’s vision of the next 19 years of American history.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of inventive

Adjective

Bat is entranced by the instruction manual written in many languages, while Snake finds endless imaginative uses for the box itself.

— Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
Still, for every resourceful, imaginative low-budget success, there is a bungled movie that aspires, if not to quality, then at least to financial viability, but instead achieves legendary ineptitude.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of imaginative

Adjective

Medicare may cover up to 100 days of care in a skilled nursing facility following a qualifying hospital stay, according to KFF.

— Lorie Konish, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka is known not just as one of the sport’s most skilled players, but as one of its most boundary-pushing style stars.

— Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of skilled

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clerkships

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cleverish

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“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clever. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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