ingenious
Showing creative brilliance
Ingenious describes something cleverly inventive or resourceful—a solution, device, or approach that shows creative intelligence: an ingenious workaround, an ingenious contraption.
The word emphasizes cleverness in design or method rather than raw intelligence.
A person can be ingenious, but more often the word modifies their creations or ideas.
Not to be confused with ingenuous, which means naively honest or innocent.
Showing mental quickness
- smartMentally quick, or fashionable
- astuteMentally sharp, discerning
- shrewdPractically clever, perceptive
- cannyShrewdly practical and cautious
sharp · quick-witted · witty · cunning · resourceful · savvy · crafty · artful
Showing original thought
- inventorCreator of original devices
- tinkererHobbyist who adjusts mechanisms
- gadgeteerEnthusiast of small devices
- deviseCreate through ingenuity
contrive · concoct · formulate · fabricate · brainstorm · ideation · conceptualize · patent
Gracefully refined, tasteful
- cleverShowing mental quickness
- neatOrderly, or undiluted
- brilliantIntensely bright or gifted
- simpleFree of complexity
effective · workaround · hack · fix · remedy · answer · approach · method
Producing original ideas
- imaginativeAble to conceive new ideas
- originalFirst or inventive
- artisticShowing imaginative skill
- inspiredMoved to action
visionary · innovative · unconventional · unorthodox · novel · fresh · flair · creativity
Introducing radical new ideas
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
breakthrough · disruptive · transformational · radical · progressive · advanced · novel · unprecedented
clever
Showing mental quickness
- smartMentally quick, or fashionable
- astuteMentally sharp, discerning
- shrewdPractically clever, perceptive
canny · sharp · quick-witted · witty · cunning · resourceful · savvy · crafty · artful · adroit
inventive
Showing original thought
- inventorCreator of original devices
- tinkererHobbyist who adjusts mechanisms
- gadgeteerEnthusiast of small devices
devise · contrive · concoct · formulate · fabricate · brainstorm · ideation · conceptualize · patent · blueprint
elegant
Gracefully refined, tasteful
simple · effective · workaround · hack · fix · remedy · answer · approach · method · technique
creative
Producing original ideas
- imaginativeAble to conceive new ideas
- originalFirst or inventive
- artisticShowing imaginative skill
inspired · visionary · innovative · unconventional · unorthodox · novel · fresh · flair · creativity · genius
groundbreaking
Introducing radical new ideas
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- trailblazingBeing the first through
cutting-edge · breakthrough · disruptive · transformational · radical · progressive · advanced · novel · unprecedented · visionary
- creative traitscreative, imaginative, inventive, innovative, original
- Brilliantbrilliant, bright, radiant, dazzling, luminous
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- flexibilitystretch, elastic, bendy, stretchy, bendable
- efficientefficient, streamlined, optimized, effective, productive
- street smartsstreet smarts, savvy, resourceful, resourcefulness, cunning
ingeniousunimaginative
Lacking creative originality
uncreative · uninventive · unoriginal · derivative · imitative
ingeniousstupid
Lacking intelligence or judgment
dull · dim-witted · slow-witted · obtuse · dense