streetsmart
Worldly through experience
Streetsmart describes practical intelligence gained from real-world experience rather than formal education—the savvy needed to navigate urban environments, recognize danger, avoid scams, and handle difficult situations.
A streetsmart person reads people well and knows how things actually work: She's not book-smart, but she's streetsmart enough to survive anywhere.
Often hyphenated or two words: street-smart, street smart.
Fast at thinking
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- perceptiveQuick to understand
- astuteMentally sharp, discerning
- worldlyExperienced in practical affairs
experienced · knowing · shrewd · clever · discerning · insightful · intuitive · judicious
Active mental awareness
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- self-preservationInstinct to survive danger
danger sense · escape routes · evasion · resilience · toughness · grit · instinct · readiness
Skilled at solving problems
- adaptableAble to adjust readily
- pragmaticFocused on workable solutions
- common-senseBasic good judgment
- realisticTrue to life
hands-on · no-nonsense · down-to-earth · sensible · grounded · hardheaded · self-reliant · makeshift
Cleverly deceptive
- craftyCleverly deceptive
- wilySkilled at deception
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
calculating · conniving · slick · cagey · underhanded · hustler · con artist · smooth-talker
quick-witted
Fast at thinking
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- perceptiveQuick to understand
- astuteMentally sharp, discerning
worldly · experienced · knowing · shrewd · clever · discerning · insightful · intuitive · judicious · wise
alertness
Active mental awareness
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
- cautionCareful attention to risk
self-preservation · danger sense · escape routes · evasion · resilience · toughness · grit · instinct · readiness · self-defense
resourceful
Skilled at solving problems
- adaptableAble to adjust readily
- pragmaticFocused on workable solutions
- common-senseBasic good judgment
realistic · hands-on · no-nonsense · down-to-earth · sensible · grounded · hardheaded · self-reliant · makeshift · improvised
sly
Cleverly deceptive
manipulative · calculating · conniving · slick · cagey · underhanded · hustler · con artist · smooth-talker · double-dealing
neighborhood
Residential area nearby
bodegas · corners · blocks · projects · inner-city · ghetto · barrio · favela · underground · nightlife
streetsmartnaive
Innocently unsuspecting
gullible · unworldly · credulous · born yesterday · innocent
streetsmartbook smart
Academically intelligent, not practical
bookish · academic · ivory tower · theoretical · intellectual
smart, street, streets, smartest, smarter, streetwise, street-smart