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noun [ U ] uk / ˈkʌn.ɪŋ / us / ˈkʌn.ɪŋ / the quality or skill of being clever at planning something so you get what you want, especially by tricking other people: show cunning We need to show some cunning if we want to defeat the enemy.
The meaning of CUNNING is dexterous or crafty in the use of special resources (such as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end. How to use cunning in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Cunning.
Cunning means clever, in the sense of trickery. A cunning plan might involve setting traps for the innocent and pure at heart to fall into. This adjective goes back to the 14th-century English verb cunnen, which meant "to know," and is actually related to our English verb know.
noun [ U ] us / ˈkʌn.ɪŋ / uk / ˈkʌn.ɪŋ / the quality or skill of being good at planning something so you get what you want, especially by tricking other people: show cunning We need to show some cunning if we want to defeat the enemy. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
cunning, artifice, craft imply an inclination toward deceit, slyness, and trickery. cunning implies a shrewd, often instinctive skill in concealing or disguising the real purposes of one’s actions: not intelligence but a low kind of cunning.
Definition of cunning adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Define cunning. cunning synonyms, cunning pronunciation, cunning translation, English dictionary definition of cunning. adj. 1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness. 2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity. 3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning...
Cunning implies a shrewd, often instinctive skill in concealing or disguising the real purposes of one's actions: not intelligence but a low kind of cunning. An artifice is a clever, unscrupulous ruse, used to mislead others: a successful artifice to conceal one's motives.
What does the adjective cunning mean? There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective cunning , three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Oct 26, 2024 · cunning (comparative more cunning, superlative most cunning) Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour. Synonyms: see Thesaurus: wily
