ingenious
Often confused with ingenuous
- 1Of a thing, showing genius in its design or execution; cleverly devised, made or carried out.
The engineers came up with an ingenious system for collecting rainwater from the roof.
The plot of the film is ingenious, with every clue hidden in plain sight.
Similarartful
Oppositeclumsy, unoriginal
- 2Of a person, showing brilliance or genius and full of inventive, original ideas.
An ingenious engineer, she redesigned the pump so that it needed no electricity at all.
He was ingenious enough to turn an old laptop into a home weather station.
Similarclever, brilliant, smart, bright, gifted
Oppositeunimaginative, uninventive
Note
The word began as praise for a talent you are born with: Latin ingeniosus, "gifted with genius", from ingenium, "natural capacity", itself from in- and gignere, "to produce". The same root lies behind engine, so an ingenious inventor and the machines she builds share a family name. Applied to people, it praises a gift for invention rather than learning.
- 3Showing originality, shrewd judgment or wit, as a clever reply or question does.
The lawyer's ingenious question caught the witness completely off guard.
Critics praised the novel's ingenious wordplay and sharp dialog.
Similarwitty, shrewd, sharp, quick-witted, adroit
Oppositedull, unimaginative
Practice
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Origin
Borrowed from Middle French ingénieux, from Old French engenious, from Latin ingeniōsus ("gifted with natural ability, gifted with genius"), from ingenium ("natural quality, natural ability, genius"), from in- ("in") + gignere ("to produce"). Compare engine.