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 At the 2023 Oscars, hairstylist Peter Lux fashioned her ponytail forward into clever trompe l’oeil micro bangs as part of an equally sculptural updo. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026 What followed was what one source described as a combination of clever lawyering from Delrahim, and cutthroat dealmaking from RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale, the financial and strategic partner of Ellison. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 That’s kind of the vibe of this clever Canadian miniseries from Jesse McKeown. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 Homemade enchiladas might sound like a laborious weekend project, but with a few clever tricks, this version made with black beans and pumpkin can be whipped up on even the most hurried of work nights. — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clever

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clever

Adjective

Her designs are crafted in France using leather farmed in France and tanned in Italy, and are constructed entirely without stitching, using an innovative system of folding, assembly and rivets.

— Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Sweden files more patents per person than almost every other European country, hosts four of the world’s top 130 universities, and is ranked by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization as the second most innovative economy on earth.

— Jan Larsson, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of innovative

Adjective

Workers assemble new energy vehicles at an intelligent factory of electric vehicle enterprise Leapmotor on January 13, 2026 in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province of China.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
At the same time, new responsibilities are appearing around agents, workflow orchestration, digital performance, access, oversight and the economics of intelligent work.

— Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of intelligent

Adjective

Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Last week, Alan Cumming’s cunning competition empire The Traitors unsheathed its most diabolical twist yet.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

Beneath his commentary on trending topics and crowd interactions are anecdotes inspired by Brookzz’s family and his personal life, giving the debut a hint of intimacy and a glimpse into the man behind the charming grin and witty quips.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Yet, the show is neither witty enough to be funny nor serious enough to become engrossing.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of witty

Adjective

Each feels expansively lush without ever losing that genuinely old school rock and roll momentum, in large part due to the hypnotic drumming of Adam Shumski and inventive lead guitars of Dan Ryan.

— Brendan Hay, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
Occasionally, VisionQuest does this in a clever way, as with an inventive late sequence that borrows from WandaVision‘s sitcom language.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of inventive

Adjective

From this format emerges the tacit thesis that the Bicentennial cultural activities excelled at provoking critical, imaginative reflections on America’s past and future from artmakers and from ordinary citizens alike.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Expanding on French drama series, Debeurme praised his colleagues and fellow artists presenting audacious, imaginative projects in La Rochelle.

— Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of imaginative

Adjective

The look is solid, smart, elegant, hitting a summer sweet spot that means guests come back again and again.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Perhaps in the hands of a smarter comedian, this contradiction could in itself be a compelling source of comedy to mine.

— Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of smart

Adjective

Minervini, a polished and skilled host, did good work in the Marlins studio for a quarter century.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Co-founder Bohdan Sas said the company is focusing on missions that place heavy demands on skilled operators, including reconnaissance, counter-drone defense and precision-strike assistance.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of skilled

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“Clever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clever. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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