SHREWD Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'astute' instead of 'shrewd'?

While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill. // an astute player of party politics

Q: When could 'perspicacious' be used to replace 'shrewd'?

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

Q: When might 'sagacious' be a better fit than 'shrewd'?

While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd , sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness. // sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

shrewd

adjective

ˈshrüd

Definition of shrewd

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bitter

causing intense discomfort to one's skin she pulled her coat tighter against the shrewd breeze whipping down the alley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective shrewd differ from other similar words?

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

When is it sensible to use astute instead of shrewd?

While the synonyms astute and shrewd are close in meaning, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

When could perspicacious be used to replace shrewd?

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

When might sagacious be a better fit than shrewd?

While in some cases nearly identical to shrewd, sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

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 shrewd The money mega-booster Cody Campbell and company spent for their suddenly elite defensive line, led by David Bailey, proved to be a shrewd investment. — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 16 June 2026 On top of doggedly tracking a serial killer whose murder spree started decades earlier, our shrewd heroine uncovers a tangled workplace conspiracy that's as sinister as her prime suspect's motives. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 Neon proved especially shrewd handling its follow-up, selling McCarthy’s witchy haunted inn as both prestige fare and an accessible vehicle for star Adam Scott. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026 Mary — played by Deirdre O’Connell, who has been in a million things, most recently The Penguin and Eddington — is too shrewd to just agree to sell the air rights for whatever price best suits Jimmy & Co. — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrewd

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrewd

Adjective

Like its existing Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley smart glasses lines, the new designs are developed with EssilorLuxxottica — the group that also owns Prada eyewear, rumored to be Meta’s next collaborator.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 7 July 2026
Recreating the look is easy at Quince, where smart trousers and shirts are available in similar colors and materials that channel the same laid-back aesthetic.

— Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Definition of smart

Adjective

Losing to a rival is bad enough, but how the defeat unfolded is sure to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of one of the greatest strikers ever.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026
The empty hotels have now become a bitter symbol of the collapse of an industry once seen as key to Cuba’s economic future.

— Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

That doesn't enable cunning and unprincipled men to subvert the power of the people.

— Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
For decades, humans mined antibiotic molecules from microbes and tweaked them to develop new drugs, staying ahead of evolution’s cunning countermeasures.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026

Definition of cunning

Adjective

In addition to the sharp shape, the coffee brown shade gives the bag a more elevated feel.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 6 July 2026
During male puberty, rising testosterone drives the cartilage to grow forward and meet at a sharper angle, while simultaneously lengthening the vocal folds and vocal tract housed just behind it.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of sharp

Adjective

The bomb-throwing influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 27, won the portions of that district in Chicago’s North Side lakefront neighborhoods, but suburban votes gave savvy Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss the win.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
But are the most savvy shoppers at the car dealership this Fourth of July?

— Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of savvy

Adjective

Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of biting

Browse Nearby Words

shrew

shrewd

shrewdness

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“Shrewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrewd. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrewd

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