shrewd
Clever at judging people and situations, especially to get what you want.
shrewd in a sentence
- The shrewd trader knew exactly which customers would pay the highest price.
- The shrewd goalkeeper watched the striker's eyes and guessed exactly where the penalty would go.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to shrewd?
- Aclever
- Bfoolish
- Cnaive
- Dgullible
Show the answer
A: clever. The other three mean the opposite of shrewd.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to shrewd?
- Afoolish
- Bsmart
- Cclever
- Dsharp
Show the answer
A: foolish. The other three mean nearly the same as shrewd.
Words that mean something similar
clever, smart, sharp
Words that mean the opposite
foolish, naive, gullible
More words about thinking & learning
- specific: Exact and clearly stated, not general.
- strive: To try very hard to achieve something.
- subtle: Small and not obvious, so it is easy to miss.
- superficial: Only on the surface, without going deep.
- thorough: Done carefully and completely, with nothing missed out.
- unanimous: Agreed by every single person, with nobody voting against.
- uncanny: Strange in a way that is hard to explain and slightly spooky.
- unfathomable: Too strange, deep or difficult to understand.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test