shrewd

Intermediatezipf 3.11

Pronunciation

/ʃruːd/(shrood)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

精明的；眼光敏锐的（能够迅速、准确地判断情况，尤指在商业或实际事务中）

Definition

Having sharp practical judgment, especially in business or personal dealings.

Word family

  • shrewdly/ˈʃruːdli/(adv)精明地
  • shrewdness/ˈʃruːdnəs/(n)精明

Collocations

  • shrewd businessman
  • shrewd move
  • shrewd investor
  • shrewd assessment
  • politically shrewd

Examples

  1. 1.It was a shrewd move to buy the property before the area was redeveloped — the value tripled. (smart decision)
  2. 2.She's a shrewd negotiator who always knows which concessions actually cost her something. (people skills)

Synonyms

  • astute/əˈstjuːt/— more formal; perceptive about people and situations
  • savvy/ˈsævi/— informal; practical know-how
  • canny/ˈkæni/— cautious and shrewd, especially Scottish English

Etymology

from Middle English "schrewd" = wicked, cunning — sense shifted to clever judgment