# clever

Pronunciation: US say "KLEV-ur" /ˈklɛv.ɚ/; UK say "KLEV-uh" /ˈklɛv.ə/

## Adjective

1. Quick at understanding and learning, and good at thinking up and applying ideas.
   - Simple: Able to learn and understand things quickly.
   - _She was clever enough to grasp the theory after a single lecture._
   - _Even the cleverest engineers struggled with the puzzle at first._
2. Able to think rapidly, with intelligence or wit.
   - Simple: Smart and quick at thinking, sometimes in a funny way.
   - _His clever remarks kept the dinner party laughing all evening._
   - _Reporters found the senator too clever to be caught off guard._
3. Able to get what one wants through quick, inventive, resourceful thinking.
   - Simple: Good at finding smart ways to get what you want.
   - _A clever negotiator, she walked away with better terms than anyone expected._
   - _The con artist was clever, always staying one step ahead of the police._
4. Showing mental quickness and resourcefulness.
   - Simple: Made or done in a smart, quick-thinking way.
   - _The app offers a clever solution to the problem of splitting bills._
   - _Investigators admired the clever route the thieves had taken to avoid the cameras._
5. Showing inventiveness or originality; witty.
   - Simple: Made with fresh, original ideas, often in a funny way.
   - _The ad campaign was clever, turning the company's biggest weakness into a selling point._
   - _Critics praised the play's clever wordplay and inventive staging._
6. Deft and nimble in using the hands or body.
   - Simple: Quick and skillful with your hands or body.
   - _A clever seamstress, she could turn a scrap of fabric into a finished dress in an afternoon._
   - _The goalkeeper made a clever save with just the tips of his fingers._
7. In good physical shape, neither unwell nor worn out. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: Feeling well and healthy, not sick or tired.
   - _She hasn't felt too clever since she came down with that cold._
   - _Give it a week of rest and you'll be feeling clever again._
8. Possessing magical abilities.
   - Simple: Having magic powers, like healing sick people or seeing spirits.
   - _Neighbors whispered that the herbalist was clever and could turn back curses as easily as fevers._
   - _Anyone in the village troubled by spirits sought out someone known to be clever._

## Adjective

9. Good-natured and obliging. *(dated, US)*
   - Simple: Kind and friendly, and happy to help other people.
10. Sane; in one's right mind. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Having a healthy mind and able to think in a normal way.
   - _The judge asked whether the prisoner had been clever at the time of the deed._
   - _His ramblings convinced the family he was no longer quite clever._
11. Fit, suitable, or proper; showing propriety. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Right and proper for the time and place.
12. Well-shaped and handsome in form or figure. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Nice to look at, with a good shape.

## Origin

It comes from the East Anglian dialect word "cliver" (expert at seizing), from Middle English "cliver" (tenacious). Its deeper roots are uncertain: it may be from Old English words meaning "clinging," or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or Frisian sources, or from dialectal Norwegian "klover" (ready, skillful); it is related to "cleave," and may have been influenced by Welsh "celfydd" (talented, expert).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/clever (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).