shrewd

Shrewd — Shrewd, a. [Compar. {Shrewder}; superl. {Shrewdest}.] [Originally the p. p. of shrew, v.t.] 1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. [Obs.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

shrewd´ly — shrewd «shrood», adjective. 1. having a sharp mind; showing a keen wit; clever: »a shrewd argument. »He is a shrewd businessman. He was too shrewd to go along with them upon a road which could lead only to their overthrow (James Froude). 2. a)… …   Useful english dictionary

shrewd — shrewd, sagacious, perspicacious, astute can all mean acute in perception and sound in judgment, especially in reference to practical affairs. Shrewd implies native cleverness, acumen, and an exceptional ability to see below the surface; it often …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

shrewd — UK US /ʃruːd/ adjective ► able to judge people and situations well and make good decisions: »My one big regret is about money I wish I d been more shrewd. »Simon is an extremely shrewd businessman. »The time is ripe for shrewd investors to make a …   Financial and business terms

shrewd — [ʃru:d] adj [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: shrew in the old meaning very bad man ] 1.) good at judging what people or situations are really like ▪ Malcolm is a shrewd and realistic businessman. ▪ She was shrewd enough to guess who was responsible. ▪… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

shrewd — [ ʃrud ] adjective * 1. ) able to judge people and situations very well and make good decisions: a shrewd politician a ) used about decisions and judgments: a shrewd marketing strategy 2. ) good at tricking people to get something you want: a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

shrewd — shrewd; shrewd·ly; shrewd·ness; …   English syllables

shrewd — [shro͞od] adj. [ME schrewed, pp. of schrewen, to curse < schrewe: see SHREW] 1. Obs. a) evil, bad, wicked, mischievous, shrewish, etc. b) artful, cunning, wily, etc. in one s dealings with others 2. keen witted, clever, or sharp in practical… …   English World dictionary

shrewd|ie — «SHROO dee», noun. Informal. a shrewd person …   Useful english dictionary

shrewd — index artful, judicious, machiavellian, perceptive, perspicacious, politic, practiced, prudent, resourceful …   Law dictionary

shrewd — c.1300, wicked, evil, from shrewe wicked man (see SHREW (Cf. shrew)). Cf. crabbed from CRAB (Cf. crab), dogged from DOG (Cf. dog), wicked from WITCH (Cf. witch). The sense …   Etymology dictionary