Canny

/ˈkæni/ · adjective

Meaning

Careful, prudent, cautious..

Definitions by Sense

1. Careful, prudent, cautious.
2. Knowing, shrewd, astute.
3. Frugal, thrifty.
4. (Scotland, Northumbria) Friendly, pleasant, fair, agreeable; (sometimes) funny.
5. (Scotland, Northumbria) Gentle, quiet, steady.
6. (Northumbria) Very, considerably; quite, rather.
7. (Scotland, Northumbria) Gently, quietly; carefully, skilfully.
8. (proscribed) Natural, normal.

Example Sentences

The politician gave a canny response to the reporter’s questions.

O! as thou art bonny, be prudent and canny,

“Canny now, lads, canny now!” exclaimed old Mucklebackit, who acted as commodore; “swerve the yard a bit—Now—there! there she sits safe on dry land.”

The canny lawyer knew just how to get what he wanted.

‘Paris Hilton is A-list. She’s a genuinely really big star,’ said Professor Robert Thompson, a popular culture expert at Syracuse University. She’s also a canny money-making machine.

Then again, in war, politics and life, it’s always wiser to treat your adversary as a canny fox, not a crazy fool.

canny investments

Whate’er he wins, I’ll guide with canny care.

Synonyms for canny

Antonyms for canny

Related Words

Word Forms

• cannier
• canniest

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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