CUNNING: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CUNNING?

Need another word that means the same as “cunning”? Find 56 synonyms and 30 related words for “cunning” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Cunning” are: clever, ingenious, crafty, dodgy, foxy, guileful, knavish, slick, sly, tricksy, tricky, wily, cute, artful, devious, knowing, scheming, designing, slippery, manipulative, machiavellian, deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous, janus-faced, skilful, adroit, picturesque, charming, sweet, attractive, pleasantly old-fashioned, old-fashioned, old-world, toytown, craft, craftiness, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness, trickery, trickiness, duplicity, deceitfulness, deceit, chicanery, shrewdness, astuteness, sharpness, acuteness, acumen, acuity, intelligence

Cunning as a Noun

Definitions of "Cunning" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “cunning” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• Ingenuity.
• Skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.
• Crafty artfulness (especially in deception.
• Shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception.

Synonyms of "Cunning" as a noun (21 Words)

acuity	Sharpness of vision; the visual ability to resolve fine detail (usually measured by a Snellen chart. Visual acuity.
acumen	The ability to make good judgements and take quick decisions. She hides a shrewd business acumen.
acuteness	A sensitivity that is keen and highly developed. Dogs have a remarkable acuteness of smell.
artfulness	The quality of being adroit in taking unfair advantage.
astuteness	Intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings.
chicanery	The use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one’s purpose. Storylines packed with political chicanery.
craft	An aircraft or spaceship. He represented the craft of brewers.
craftiness	A steep rugged rock or cliff.
deceit	The quality of being fraudulent. A web of deceit.
deceitfulness	The quality of being crafty.
deviousness	The quality of being deceitful and underhanded.
duplicity	A fraudulent or duplicitous representation. The president was accused of duplicity in his dealings with Congress.
foxiness	Shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception.
guile	Sly or cunning intelligence. He used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in.
intelligence	The collection of information of military or political value. The chief of military intelligence.
sharpness	The attribute of urgency in tone of voice. The sharpness of strange spices.
shrewdness	The quality of having or showing good powers of judgement. He is a man of some tactical shrewdness.
slyness	Shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception.
trickery	The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. The dealer resorted to trickery.
trickiness	The quality of requiring skill or caution. These puzzles are famous for their trickiness.
wiliness	A person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy.

Usage Examples of "Cunning" as a noun

• What resources of energy and cunning it took just to survive.
• A statesman to whom cunning had come as second nature.

Cunning as an Adjective

Definitions of "Cunning" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “cunning” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Attractive or quaint.
• Showing inventiveness and skill.
• Marked by skill in deception.
• Attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness.
• Ingenious.
• Having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion.

Synonyms of "Cunning" as an adjective (35 Words)

adroit	Clever or skilful. An adroit technician.
artful	Showing creative skill or taste. The artful dodger.
attractive	Having qualities or features which arouse interest. An attractive opportunity.
charming	Possessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate to supernatural powers- Shakespeare. He was a charming affectionate colleague.
clever	Healthy or well. A simple but clever idea for helping people learn computing.
crafty	Marked by skill in deception. They are looking for crafty people to join the group to make ornaments.
cute	Sexually attractive; good-looking. The two brothers were cute enough to find a couple of rich women and marry them.
deceitful	Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another. Smooth shining and deceitful as thin ice.
deceptive	Designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently. Deceptive calm.
designing	Concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest. A selfish and designing nation obsessed with the dark schemes of European intrigue.
devious	(of a route or journey) longer and less direct than the most straightforward way. They arrived at the town by a devious route.
dodgy	Of uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk. A dodgy second hand car salesman.
duplicitous	(of a charge or plea) containing more than one allegation. A duplicitous philanderer.
foxy	Sexually attractive (typically used of a woman. A terrier with prick ears and a foxy expression.
guileful	Marked by skill in deception. A supremely guileful and deceptive politician.
ingenious	Showing inventiveness and skill. His theory while ingenious is most assuredly incorrect.
janus-faced	Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another- Israel Zangwill.
knavish	Marked by skill in deception. His knavish tricks will be frustrated.
knowing	Experienced or shrewd, especially excessively or prematurely so. A knowing breach of the order by the appellants.
machiavellian	Of or relating to Machiavelli or the principles of conduct he recommended.
manipulative	Skillful in influencing or controlling others to your own advantage. The early manipulative techniques of a three year old child.
old-fashioned	Out of fashion.
old-world	Characteristic of former times especially in Europe.
picturesque	Suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture. The salad has no regional or picturesque name.
pleasantly old-fashioned	Affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings.
scheming	Acting with a specific goal. They had mean scheming little minds.
skilful	Having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude. A skilful midfielder.
slick	Made slick by e g ice or grease. Sidewalks slick with ice.
slippery	Not to be trusted. The word intended is a decidedly slippery one.
sly	Showing in an insinuating way that one has some secret knowledge that may be harmful or embarrassing. He gave a sly grin.
sweet	Having a sweet nature befitting an angel or cherub. Sweet dessert wines.
toytown	Resembling a quaint or miniature replica of something. Below you far away was a single toytown rooftop.
tricksy	Ingenious, intricate, or complicated. A tricksy little device.
tricky	Not to be trusted- James Agee. The radio is tricky to operate.
wily	Marked by skill in deception. A wily old attorney.

Usage Examples of "Cunning" as an adjective

• Cunning men often pass for wise.
• A cunning baby.
• Baby will look too cunning for anything in that pink print.
• Plants have evolved cunning defences.
• The cunning maneuvers leading to his success.
• Cunning kittens.
• A cunning look came into his eyes.

Associations of "Cunning" (30 Words)

artful	Showing creative skill or taste. An artful photograph of a striking woman.
astute	Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage. An astute businessman.
baloney	Pretentious or silly talk or writing. I don t buy it it s all a load of baloney.
betrayal	An act of deliberate betrayal. The betrayal by the king by his daughter.
cheating	A deception for profit to yourself.
chicanery	The use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one’s purpose. Storylines packed with political chicanery.
cozen	Obtain by deception. He was able to cozen a profit.
crafty	Marked by skill in deception. A market full of crafty pots and interesting earrings.
deceit	The quality of being fraudulent. A web of deceit.
deceitful	Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another- Israel Zangwill. Smooth shining and deceitful as thin ice.
deception	A thing that deceives. A range of elaborate deceptions.
delude	Make (someone) believe something that is not true. Too many theorists have deluded the public.
dishonesty	Lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing. The dismissal of thirty civil servants for dishonesty and misconduct.
duplicity	The state of being double. The president was accused of duplicity in his dealings with Congress.
fraud	Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Prosecutions for social security frauds.
fraudulence	Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage.
guile	Sly or cunning intelligence. He used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in.
hoax	Subject to a playful hoax or joke. The evidence had been planted as part of an elaborate hoax.
hoodwink	Influence by slyness. Staff were hoodwinked into thinking the cucumber was a sawn off shotgun.
humbug	Trick or deceive. You see what a humbug I am.
hypocrite	A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives. The story tells of respectable Ben who turns out to be a cheat and a hypocrite.
machiavellian	A follower of Machiavelli’s principles.
manipulative	Exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation. The early manipulative techniques of a three year old child.
shrewd	Used of persons. She was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his gesture.
skulduggery	Underhand, unscrupulous, or dishonest behaviour or activities. A firm that investigates commercial skulduggery.
sly	(of an action) surreptitious. Sly as a fox.
trickery	The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. The dealer resorted to trickery.
tricky	Not to be trusted. Applying eyeliner can be a tricky business.
wile	The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. The gang had played monopoly as they wiled away the hours.
wily	Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully. His wily opponents.