perspicacious
/,pə:spi'keiʃəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
A perspicacious chess player anticipates her opponent's moves several turns in advance.
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a ready insight into and understanding of things; showing keen mental perception and judgment: The word describes someone who is able to understand situations or people quickly and accurately, often noticing things that others miss.
- Having clear-sighted vision or discernment: It can also refer to the quality of being perceptive and wise in judgment.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The perspicacious editor immediately identified the flaw in the manuscript's logic.
- Her perspicacious analysis of the market trends saved the company from a major loss.
- Only a perspicacious observer would have noticed the subtle clues.
Advanced Usage
- "Perspicacious remark/comment": A comment that shows sharp insight.
- The professor's perspicacious remark changed the entire direction of the debate.
- "Perspicacious eye/mind": Describing someone's inherent quality of sharp perception.
- With his perspicacious mind, he solved the complex puzzle in minutes.
Variants and Related Words
- Perspicacity (n): The quality of having a ready insight into things; shrewdness.
- Her perspicacity in business matters is widely admired.
- Perspicuously (adv): In a manner that is clearly expressed and easily understood. (Note: This is related but distinct, focusing on clarity of expression rather than mental acuity).
- The contract was perspicuously written.
Synonyms
- Shrewd: Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.
- Discerning: Having or showing good judgment.
- Perceptive: Having or showing sensitive insight.
- Sagacious: Having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; wise.
- Astute: Having an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage.
Antonyms
- Obtuse: Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand.
- Unperceptive: Lacking sensitivity, insight, or intuition.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "A perspicacious observer": A standard phrase describing someone who notices and understands things keenly.
- As a perspicacious observer of human nature, she wrote compelling character studies.
- "Perspicacious enough to...": Used to indicate someone had the necessary insight to do something.
- He was perspicacious enough to foresee the economic downturn.
A perspicacious chess player anticipates her opponent's moves several turns in advance.
Adjective
- mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
- too clear-eyed not to see what problems would follow
- chaos could be prevented only by clear-sighted leadership
- much too perspicacious to be taken in by so spurious an argument
- acutely insightful and wise
- much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument
- observant and thoughtful, he was given to asking sagacious questions
- a source of valuable insights and sapient advice to educators