Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Showing inventiveness and skill: Characterized by cleverness in creating or planning, often in a way that is ingenious or resourceful.
   • Marked by skill in deception: Using cleverness to deceive or trick others; characterized by slyness, guile, or craftiness.
   • (Archaic or U.S. Informal) Attractive in a small, pretty, or quaint way: Pleasingly charming or appealing.

2. Noun:

   • Crafty artfulness (especially in deception): The quality of being skilled in deception; shrewdness or slyness.
   • (Archaic) Skill or dexterity: Cleverness or skill in making or doing something.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Inventive/Skillful):
  • The engineer devised a cunning solution to bypass the old wiring.
  • The plan's cunning simplicity was its greatest strength.
• Adjective (Deceptive):
  • The cunning fox outwitted the hunters by doubling back on its trail.
  • He was known for his cunning business tactics.
• Adjective (Attractive):
  • The cottage had a cunning little porch covered in ivy.
• Noun (Artfulness/Deception):
  • She used all her cunning to negotiate the deal in her favor.
  • The spy relied more on cunning than on brute force.

Advanced Usage

• "Low cunning": Refers to a crude, unsophisticated form of deceit or trickery.
  • His methods weren't brilliant strategy, just low cunning.
• "As cunning as a fox": A common simile comparing someone's sly intelligence to that of a fox.
  • Be careful negotiating with her; she's as cunning as a fox.

Variants and Related Words

• Cunningly (adverb): In a cunning manner.
  • The trap was cunningly disguised.
• Cunningness (noun): The state or quality of being cunning (less common).

Synonyms

• Adjective (Deceptive): Sly, crafty, wily, foxy, guileful, devious, artful.
• Adjective (Inventive): Clever, ingenious, shrewd, astute, resourceful.
• Adjective (Attractive): Cute, charming, quaint, pretty.
• Noun: Guile, craftiness, slyness, wiliness, artfulness, shrewdness.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Artless, guileless, ingenuous, naive, honest, straightforward.
• Noun: Honesty, ingenuousness, artlessness.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Cunning plan": Often used, sometimes humorously, to describe a clever but potentially over-complicated or deceitful scheme.
  • He unveiled his latest cunning plan to win the competition.

Adjective

1. showing inventiveness and skill
   • a clever gadget
   • the cunning maneuvers leading to his success
   • an ingenious solution to the problem
2. marked by skill in deception
   • cunning men often pass for wise
   • deep political machinations
   • a foxy scheme
   • a slick evasive answer
   • sly as a fox
   • tricky Dick
   • a wily old attorney
3. attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
   • a cute kid with pigtails
   • a cute little apartment
   • cunning kittens
   • a cunning baby

Noun

1. crafty artfulness (especially in deception)
2. shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception