What does clever mean?
Clever means Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept..
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/ˈklɛv.ə/ · adjective
Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept..
My dad is quite clever with his hands, especially at carpentry.
a. 1898, Francis James Child (collator), Child's Ballads, 198: "Bonny John Seton", The Highland men, they're clever men At handling sword and shield,
The cleverest and most prolific inventors, such as Reiner Knizia (who lives in England) are nerdy superstars. Euro (also “German-style”) games must not be confused with “Ameritrash” games, which generally involve high drama and employ plastic pieces, though arguing over what the difference is seems to be gamers' second-favourite pastime.
clever like a fox
With a clever lawyer, she could easily be acquitted.
1890, Joseph Jacobs (collator), Molly Whuppie, English Fairy Tales, The youngest of the three strange lassies was called Molly Whuppie, and she was very clever. She noticed that before they went to bed the giant put straw ropes round her neck and her sisters', and round his own lassies' necks, he put gold chains. So Molly took care and did not fall asleep, but waited till she was sure every one was sleeping sound. Then she slipped out of the bed, and took the straw ropes off her own and her sisters' necks, and took the gold chains off the giant's lassies. She then put the straw ropes on the giant's lassies and the gold on herself and her sisters, and lay down.
And so make life, death, and that vast forever / One grand, sweet song.
1912, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett (translator), The Brothers Karamazov, Book V, Chapter 7: "It's Always Worth While Speaking to a Clever Man", I would have sent Alyosha, but what use is Alyosha in a thing like that? I send you just because you are a clever fellow. Do you suppose I don't see that? You know nothing about timber, but you've got an eye.
Use clever when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Clever means Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept..
Common synonyms include quick-witted, sharp-witted, cunning, street-smart.
Possible antonyms include dull, stupid, ineffectual, naive.
My dad is quite clever with his hands, especially at carpentry.
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