Standard Lemma guide

cunning

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: astute, artful, cautelous, crafty, cunning, devious, diabolical, foxlike, foxy, frood, guileful, shrewd, slim, sly, subtle, tricksy, tricky, vulpine, wily

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Skillful, artful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Examples

  • cunning work

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Cute, appealing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Maine, colloquial, dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Practical knowledge or experience; aptitude in performance; skill, proficiency; dexterity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft; artifice; skillful deceit; art or magic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness; guile; artifice; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving, or deceitful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

The natural wit or instincts of an animal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the cunning of the fox or hare

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Knowledge; learning; special knowledge (sometimes implying occult or magical knowledge).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

showing inventiveness and skill

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a clever gadget
  • the cunning maneuvers leading to his success
  • an ingenious solution to the problem

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clever, ingenious

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

marked by skill in deception

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • cunning men often pass for wise
  • deep political machinations
  • a foxy scheme
  • a slick evasive answer
  • sly as a fox
  • tricky Dick
  • a wily old attorney

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crafty, dodgy, foxy, guileful, knavish, slick, sly, tricksy, tricky, wily

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective satellite

Meaning 13

attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a cute kid with pigtails
  • a cute little apartment
  • cunning kittens
  • a cunning baby

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cute

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

crafty artfulness (especially in deception)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: artfulness

15

noun

Meaning 15

shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: craft, craftiness, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shrewdness, astuteness, perspicacity, perspicaciousness

History

Etymology

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
  • Bulgarian: сръчност (srǎčnost) — aptitude
  • Bulgarian: умение (umenie) — aptitude
  • Dutch: kundigheid — aptitude
  • Finnish: taitavuus — aptitude
  • Japanese: 狡猾 (kōkatsu) — aptitude
  • Middle English: sleighte — aptitude
  • Polish: umiejętność — aptitude
  • Portuguese: habilidade — aptitude
  • Romanian: capacitate — aptitude
  • Russian: уме́ние (uménije) — aptitude
  • Russian: иску́сство (iskússtvo) — aptitude
  • Spanish: habilidad — aptitude
  • Spanish: cuquería — aptitude
  • Telugu: తరహా (tarahā) — aptitude
Real reading context

cunning in complete knowledge articles