shrewd
Sharp in dealings
Shrewd describes sharp, practical judgment, especially in business or social situations.
A shrewd negotiator anticipates the other side's moves.
A shrewd investment shows clever timing.
The word suggests cunning without dishonesty—someone shrewd sees angles others miss and acts on them.
She made a shrewd observation about his motives.
Quick to understand
- keenSharp or enthusiastic
- discerningHaving keen judgment
- sharp-wittedIntellectually quick and perceptive
- quick-wittedFast at thinking
clever · intelligent · smart · savvy · canny · acute · perspicacious · incisive
Deliberately planned for advantage
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- craftyCleverly deceptive
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
conniving · opportunistic · Machiavellian · cold-blooded · deliberate · premeditated · self-serving · ruthless
Cleverly deceptive
- wilySkilled at deception
- artfulCleverly deceptive
- foxySly or seductive
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
guileful · sneaky · underhanded · duplicitous · deceitful · trickster · slippery · subtle
Exercising sound judgment
- judiciousHaving sound assessment skills
- sagaciousHaving acute mental discernment
- wiseShowing good judgment
- sensibleShowing good judgment
sound · levelheaded · farsighted · circumspect · cautious · measured · sober · mature
One who bargains professionally
- dealmakerOne who negotiates agreements
- investorOne who allocates capital
- entrepreneurOne who starts businesses
- traderOne who transacts commercially
merchant · bargainer · haggler · speculator · businessman · broker · tycoon · mogul
perceptive
Quick to understand
- keenSharp or enthusiastic
- discerningHaving keen judgment
- sharp-wittedIntellectually quick and perceptive
quick-witted · clever · intelligent · smart · savvy · canny · acute · perspicacious · incisive · penetrating
strategic
Deliberately planned for advantage
manipulative · conniving · opportunistic · Machiavellian · cold-blooded · deliberate · premeditated · self-serving · ruthless · ambitious
sly
Cleverly deceptive
devious · guileful · sneaky · underhanded · duplicitous · deceitful · trickster · slippery · subtle · covert
prudent
Exercising sound judgment
- judiciousHaving sound assessment skills
- sagaciousHaving acute mental discernment
- wiseShowing good judgment
sensible · sound · levelheaded · farsighted · circumspect · cautious · measured · sober · mature · seasoned
negotiator
One who bargains professionally
- dealmakerOne who negotiates agreements
- investorOne who allocates capital
- entrepreneurOne who starts businesses
trader · merchant · bargainer · haggler · speculator · businessman · broker · tycoon · mogul · financier
- sh wordsshe, shake, shape, share, shark
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- Smartsintelligent, genius, smart, gifted, brilliant
- street smartsstreet smarts, savvy, resourceful, resourcefulness, cunning
- Money-Saving Wordsthrifty, frugal, economical, budget-conscious, cost-conscious
shrewdfoolish
Lacking good sense
stupid · obtuse · dull · dim-witted · unintelligent
- Taming of the ShrewElizabethan battle-of-sexes comedy
- elephant shrewSmall long-snouted African mammal
- Taming of ShrewControlling a difficult spouse
- tree shrewSmall primate-adjacent mammal
- water shrewSemiaquatic insectivorous rodent-like mammal
shrew, shrewdness, shrewdly, shrewish, shrewder, shrewdest, shrewishness