adj · name · noun · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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rhymes with -ʌnɪŋ
/ˈkʌnɪŋ/
CMU ARPABET:K AH1 N IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing. Cognate with Scots cunnand (“cunning”), German könnend (“able to do”), Icelandic kunnandi (“cunning”). More at con, can.
From Middle English cunning, kunnyng, partially from Old English *cunning (verbal noun), from Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”); partially from Old English cunnung (“knowledge, trial, probation, experience, contact, carnal knowledge”), from cunnian (“to search into, try, test, seek for, explore, investigate, experience, have experience of, to make trial of, know”), equivalent to con + -ing.
Across languages
Translations
233 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مَاكِر
(mākir)
— sly
Armenian:
խորամանկ
(xoramank)
— sly
Belarusian:
хі́тры
(xítry)
— sly
Bulgarian:
лука́в
(lukáv)
— sly
Bulgarian:
кова́рен
(kováren)
— sly
Bulgarian:
хи́тър
(hítǎr)
— sly
Catalan:
astut
— sly
Catalan:
murri
— sly
Catalan:
maquiavèl·lic
— sly
Chinese Mandarin:
狡猾
(jiǎohuá)
— sly
Chinese Mandarin:
狡詐 /狡诈
(jiǎozhà)
— sly
Chinese Mandarin:
狡黠
(jiǎoxiá)
— sly
Czech:
prohnaný
— sly
Czech:
mazaný
— sly
Czech:
vychytralý
— sly
Danish:
listig
— sly
Danish:
snedig
— sly
Dutch:
sluw
— sly
Dutch:
doortrapt
— sly
Dutch:
geslepen
— sly
Dutch:
leep
— sly
Esperanto:
ruza
— sly
Finnish:
ovela
— sly
Finnish:
kiero
— sly
French:
rusé
— sly
Galician:
renarte
— sly
Galician:
tréfego
— sly
Galician:
xistrón
— sly
Galician:
solerte
— sly
Galician:
sangual
— sly
Galician:
pillabán
— sly
Galician:
prosmeiro
— sly
Galician:
arteiro
— sly
Galician:
galdrido
— sly
Galician:
matreiro
— sly
Georgian:
ცბიერი
(cbieri)
— sly
Georgian:
მზაკვრული
(mzaḳvruli)
— sly
Georgian:
ქვეშქვეშა
(kveškveša)
— sly
Georgian:
ეშმაკი
(ešmaḳi)
— sly
German:
gerissen
— sly
German:
schlau
— sly
German:
listig
— sly
German:
durchtrieben
— sly
German:
hinterlistig
— sly
German:
abgefeimt
— sly
German:
listenreich
— sly
German:
gefinkelt
— sly
German:
gefitzt
— sly
Gothic:
𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃
(listeigs)
— sly
Ancient Greek:
κίδαφος
(kídaphos)
— sly
Ancient Greek:
πυκνός
(puknós)
— sly
Hungarian:
ravasz
— sly
Hungarian:
dörzsölt
— sly
Hungarian:
csalafinta
— sly
Hungarian:
cseles
— sly
Hungarian:
alattomos
— sly
Ingrian:
veekas
— sly
Ingrian:
kavala
— sly
Irish:
glic
— sly
Italian:
furbo
— sly
Italian:
astuto
— sly
Japanese:
狡猾な
(kōkatsu na)
— sly
Korean:
교활하다
(gyohwalhada)
— sly
Kott:
āru
— sly
Latin:
vafer
— sly
Latin:
callidus
— sly
Latin:
versūtus
— sly
Latvian:
viltīgs
— sly
Lithuanian:
gudrus
— sly
Norman:
rusé
— sly
Church Slavic:
хꙑтръ
(xytrŭ)
— sly
Church Slavic:
лѫкавъ
(lǫkavŭ)
— sly
Old English:
ġēaplīċ
— sly
Persian:
مکار
(makkâr)
— sly
Persian:
رند
(rend)
— sly
Polish:
chytry
— sly
Polish:
cwany
— sly
Polish:
przebiegły
— sly
Polish:
sprytny
— sly
Portuguese:
astuto
— sly
Portuguese:
esperto
— sly
Portuguese:
matreiro
— sly
Romanian:
viclean
— sly
Romanian:
șiret
— sly
Russian:
хи́трый
(xítryj)
— sly
Russian:
лука́вый
(lukávyj)
— sly
Russian:
кова́рный
(kovárnyj)
— sly
Russian:
проны́рливый
(pronýrlivyj)
— sly
Russian:
до́шлый
(dóšlyj)
— sly
Sanskrit:
धूर्त
(dhūrta)
— sly
Scottish Gaelic:
seòlta
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
лукав
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
препреден
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
подмукао
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
lukav
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
prepreden
— sly
Serbo-Croatian:
podmukao
— sly
Slovak:
mazaný
— sly
Slovak:
prefíkaný
— sly
Slovene:
zvit
— sly
Spanish:
astuto
— sly
Spanish:
pillo
— sly
Spanish:
listo
— sly
Spanish:
cuco
— sly
Spanish:
pícaro
— sly
Spanish:
artero
— sly
Spanish:
taimado
— sly
Spanish:
perillán
— sly
Swedish:
slug
— sly
Swedish:
listig
— sly
Tagalog:
tuso
— sly
Thai:
เหลี่ยม
(lìiam)
— sly
Ottoman Turkish:
قورناز
(kurnaz)
— sly
Ottoman Turkish:
آصمق
(asmak)
— sly
Ukrainian:
хи́трий
(xýtryj)
— sly
Ukrainian:
лука́вий
(lukávyj)
— sly
Uzbek:
ayyor
— sly
Vietnamese:
xảo quyệt
— sly
Vietnamese:
xảo trá
— sly
Vietnamese:
láu lỉnh
— sly
Bulgarian:
сръчен
(srǎčen)
— skillful
Bulgarian:
изкусен
(izkusen)
— skillful
Catalan:
astut
— skillful
Catalan:
murri
— skillful
Chinese Mandarin:
巧妙
(qiǎomiào)
— skillful
Czech:
šikovný
— skillful
Czech:
obratný
— skillful
Dutch:
handig
— skillful
Dutch:
bedreven
— skillful
Finnish:
ovela
— skillful
Finnish:
taitava
— skillful
French:
talentueux
— skillful
Georgian:
ცბიერი
(cbieri)
— skillful
German:
geschickt
— skillful
German:
gewandt
— skillful
German:
ausgefuchst
— skillful
German:
gewitzt
— skillful
German:
gewieft
— skillful
German:
clever
— skillful
German:
schlau
— skillful
German:
gefinkelt
— skillful
German:
ausgeklügelt
— skillful
German:
gefitzt
— skillful
Ancient Greek:
στρεβλός
(streblós)
— skillful
Hungarian:
ügyes
— skillful
Italian:
ingegnoso
— skillful
Japanese:
狡猾な
(kōkatsu na)
— skillful
Japanese:
巧妙な
(kōmyō na)
— skillful
Latin:
callidus
— skillful
Persian:
گربز
(gorbez)
— skillful
Polish:
umiejętny
— skillful
Polish:
wprawny
— skillful
Polish:
zręczny
— skillful
Portuguese:
astuto
— skillful
Portuguese:
esperto
— skillful
Romanian:
priceput
— skillful
Russian:
уме́лый
(umélyj)
— skillful
Russian:
иску́сный
(iskúsnyj)
— skillful
Russian:
ло́вкий
(lóvkij)
— skillful
Scottish Gaelic:
seòlta
— skillful
Slovak:
chytrý
— skillful
Spanish:
astuto
— skillful
Spanish:
ingenioso
— skillful
Telugu:
నేర్పరి
(nērpari)
— skillful
Czech:
rozkošný
— cute
Czech:
milý
— cute
Czech:
sladký
— cute
Spanish:
cuco
— cute
Spanish:
mono
— cute
Bulgarian:
коварство
(kovarstvo)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Bulgarian:
лукавство
(lukavstvo)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Chukchi:
гыттагыргын
(gyttagyrgyn)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Dutch:
sluwheid
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Esperanto:
ruza
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Finnish:
oveluus
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Finnish:
kierous
— skill of being sly or deceitful
French:
fourberie
— skill of being sly or deceitful
French:
sournoiserie
— skill of being sly or deceitful
German:
Gerissenheit
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Greek:
πονηριά
(poniriá)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Ancient Greek:
πανοῦργος
(panoûrgos)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Italian:
furberia
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Italian:
furbizia
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Japanese:
狡猾
(kōkatsu)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Latin:
versūtia
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Latin:
astus
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Macedonian:
итрина
(itrina)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Māori:
rauhanga
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Middle English:
sleighte
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Norwegian:
snedighet
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Polish:
chytrość
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Polish:
cwaniactwo
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Polish:
przebiegłość
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Polish:
spryt
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Portuguese:
ardil
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Portuguese:
astúcia
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Portuguese:
esperteza
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Romanian:
viclenie
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Russian:
кова́рство
(kovárstvo)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Russian:
хи́трость
(xítrostʹ)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
ardid
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
astucia
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
cuquería
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
taima
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
socaliña
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
treta
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
trácala
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
ardil
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
martingala
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
marrullería
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Spanish:
marrulla
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Swedish:
list
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Swedish:
slughet
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Telugu:
కపటము
(kapaṭamu)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Turkish:
kurnazlık
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Turkish:
cerbeze
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Ottoman Turkish:
قورنازلق
(kurnazlık)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Ottoman Turkish:
شیطانلق
(şeytanlık)
— skill of being sly or deceitful
Ottoman Turkish:
جربزه
(cerbeze)
— skill of being sly or deceitful