shrewd
adjective
ˈshrüd 
especially Southern ˈsrüd
1
a
: marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen
shrewd common sense
b
: given to wily and artful ways or dealing
a shrewd operator
2
a
: severe, hard
a shrewd knock
b
: sharp, piercing
a shrewd wind
3
archaic : mischievous
4
obsolete : abusive, shrewish
5
obsolete : ominous, dangerous
shrewdly adverb
shrewdness noun
Synonyms
- astute
- canny
- clear-eyed
- clear-sighted
- hard-boiled
- hardheaded
- heady
- knowing
- savvy
- sharp
- sharp-witted
- smart
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
According to Frank Luntz, Republican pollster and spinmeister, these younger working women with small children are critical swing voters. By dint of focus groups and shrewd professional questioning, Luntz has determined what these women need most—more time in their lives. He seemed to regard this finding as a considerable coup. 
Molly Ivins, Mother Jones, September/October 2004 When Ann Richards fractured her hand in a fall nine years ago, she went to the doctor for a bone density test only to learn that she had … an early form of osteoporosis. The diagnosis spurred the former Texas governor, whose mother and grandmother also suffered from the disease, to write I'm Not Slowing Down: Winning My Battle with Osteoporosis … an inspiring little volume filled with the author's shrewd insights into healthcare, gender and, yes, politics. Julie Hale, Book Page, August 2003 One shrewd political tactician who knew what it was like to lose a close election watched Goldwater closely. Nixon had an eye on a comeback in 1968 and knew he needed the South—all of it this time. Jon Meacham, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2002 But a growing empire produces tough challenges. Winfrey is used to ironclad control. A shrewd businesswoman, she still signs all the checks of more than $1,000 for her Harpo Entertainment Group, and she meticulously scrutinizes the smaller ones that others sign for her. Lynette Clemetson, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2001 She's shrewd about her investments. a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal See More
Molly Ivins, Mother Jones, September/October 2004 When Ann Richards fractured her hand in a fall nine years ago, she went to the doctor for a bone density test only to learn that she had … an early form of osteoporosis. The diagnosis spurred the former Texas governor, whose mother and grandmother also suffered from the disease, to write I'm Not Slowing Down: Winning My Battle with Osteoporosis … an inspiring little volume filled with the author's shrewd insights into healthcare, gender and, yes, politics. Julie Hale, Book Page, August 2003 One shrewd political tactician who knew what it was like to lose a close election watched Goldwater closely. Nixon had an eye on a comeback in 1968 and knew he needed the South—all of it this time. Jon Meacham, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2002 But a growing empire produces tough challenges. Winfrey is used to ironclad control. A shrewd businesswoman, she still signs all the checks of more than $1,000 for her Harpo Entertainment Group, and she meticulously scrutinizes the smaller ones that others sign for her. Lynette Clemetson, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2001 She's shrewd about her investments. a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal See More Recent Examples on the Web Set in the early 16th century court of Henry VIII, Wolf Hall centers on the fascinating character of Cromwell, an ambitious, shrewd yet idealistic lawyer who becomes the volatile king's chief minister. Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 11 Sep. 2022 The plan must be focused on shrewd matchups early with an eye on greater value as weeks progress. Lance Pugmire, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 The absolute Gulf monarchies who run their fiefdoms as family businesses had a shrewd understanding of where the power really resided in the Trump administration. Peter Bergen, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 This shrewd late-summer diversion might have just the right amount of ridiculous, writes film critic Justin Chang. Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Horgan’s Eva — especially when paired with Greene’s scene-stealing Bibi — is shrewd and dryly deadpan. Caroline Framke, Variety, 19 Aug. 2022 Every inch of the property has been considered, thanks to the shrewd eye of advertising executive and the brand’s creative director, Sir Frank Lowe, and Nicola Harding, who previously designed various spaces at the Surrey property. Bridget Arsenault, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Buying the Oxford Street building was a shrewd investment. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 The deal appears to also be a shrewd move for Amazon, which can offer its Prime customers an appealing food delivery service in an asset-light fashion friendly to shareholders’ equity. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 July 2022 See More
Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 11 Sep. 2022 The plan must be focused on shrewd matchups early with an eye on greater value as weeks progress. Lance Pugmire, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 The absolute Gulf monarchies who run their fiefdoms as family businesses had a shrewd understanding of where the power really resided in the Trump administration. Peter Bergen, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 This shrewd late-summer diversion might have just the right amount of ridiculous, writes film critic Justin Chang. Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Horgan’s Eva — especially when paired with Greene’s scene-stealing Bibi — is shrewd and dryly deadpan. Caroline Framke, Variety, 19 Aug. 2022 Every inch of the property has been considered, thanks to the shrewd eye of advertising executive and the brand’s creative director, Sir Frank Lowe, and Nicola Harding, who previously designed various spaces at the Surrey property. Bridget Arsenault, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Buying the Oxford Street building was a shrewd investment. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 The deal appears to also be a shrewd move for Amazon, which can offer its Prime customers an appealing food delivery service in an asset-light fashion friendly to shareholders’ equity. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English shrewed, from shrewe + -ed entry 1
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Kids Definition
shrewd
adjective
ˈshrüd
shrewder; shrewdest
: showing quick practical cleverness
a shrewd businessman
shrewd
adjective
1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal shrewd investments that paid off big Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- smart
- astute
- savvy
- wise
- canny
- clever
- sharp
- cunning
- brilliant
- intelligent
- hardheaded
- experienced
- veteran
- wily
- sharp-witted
- knowing
- keen
- clear-sighted
- sagacious
- clear-eyed
- sly
- heady
- quick
- bright
- perspicacious
- perceptive
- slick
- subtle
- artful
- insightful
- cagey
- devious
- guileful
- crafty
- resourceful
- tricky
- foxy
- hard-boiled
- ingenious
- pawky
- sage
- discerning
- nimble
- cagy
- brainy
- dodgy
- agile
- discriminating
- quick-witted
- calculating
- discriminative
- sapient
- percipient
- apt
- scheming
- sharp-sighted
- sharp-eyed
- alert
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- naive
- naïve
- guileless
- ingenuous
- artless
- gullible
- unwise
- innocent
- unknowing
- unperceptive
- dumb
- foolish
- simple
- stupid
- exploitable
- obtuse
- idiotic
- dense
- unintelligent
- thoughtless
- slow
- dopey
- dull
- thickheaded
- silly
- ignorant
- gullable
- feebleminded
- moronic
- softheaded
- uninformed
- brainless
- lamebrained
- imbecile
- knuckleheaded
- witless
- imbecilic
- lamebrain
- dim-witted
- gormless
- dopy
- thick-witted
- slow-witted
- weak-minded
- half-witted
- airheaded
- lunkheaded
- empty-headed
- idiotical
- brain-dead
- birdbrained
2
as in sharp
causing intense discomfort to one's skin she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley Synonyms & Similar Words
- sharp
- bitter
- biting
- keen
- brisk
- penetrating
- piercing
- smarting
- cutting
- stinging
- raw
- invigorating
- caustic
- snappy
- corrosive
- nippy
- prickly
- tingling
- needlelike
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gentle
- mild
- soothing
- balmy
3
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means a shrewd operator in the real estate game, she made every buyer think they were getting the deal of the century Synonyms & Similar Words
- cunning
- cute
- subtle
- wily
- deceptive
- slick
- sly
- dishonest
- fraudulent
- artful
- treacherous
- cagey
- devious
- beguiling
- crooked
- crafty
- guileful
- scheming
- tricky
- designing
- foxy
- astute
- calculating
- deceitful
- cagy
- sharp
- dodgy
- shady
- plotting
- unscrupulous
- slippery
- glib
- sneaky
- covert
- shifty
- knavish
- facile
- clandestine
- oblique
- underhanded
- undercover
- hypocritical
- insinuating
- circular
- concealed
- secret
- underhand
- Machiavellian
- insincere
- serpentine
- roundabout
- surreptitious
- circuitous
- backhanded
- stealthy
- furtive
- smooth-tongued
- two-faced
- mealy
- double-dealing
- mealymouthed
- left-handed
- hugger-mugger
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- guileless
- artless
- obvious
- innocent
- simple
- straightforward
- honest
- forthright
- outspoken
- sincere
- plain
- candid
- public
- ingenuous
- frank
- direct
- real
- open
- unpretentious
- unsophisticated
- unaffected
- unconcealed
- natural
- impressionable
- unvarnished
- childlike
- unpretending
- patent
- unworldly
- simpleminded
- aboveboard
- plainspoken
- undesigning
- trustful
- trusting
- unstudied
- unforced
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of shrewd are astute, perspicacious, and sagacious. While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.
a shrewd judge of character
While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.
an astute player of party politics
The meanings of perspicacious and shrewd largely overlap; however, perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.
a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade
While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd, sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.
sagacious investors got in on the ground floor