Words / B2

KUN-ing/ˈkʌnɪŋ/

Cunning means clever at getting what you want, especially by tricking people; as a noun, that skill: a cunning plan; low cunning. Clever is broader (already in the dictionary); sly is a close twin. A cunning sampling trick is still malpractice. Mix-up: running; canon. Do not write cunning as a compliment for honest hard work with no trick.

Meaning

Clever at getting what you want, especially by tricking people; as a noun, that skill.

Examples

• “A cunning sampling trick is still malpractice, the handbook said.”
• “The fox’s cunning featured in the fable, which is the literature sense.”

Good to know

cunning + noun; a cunning plan; cunning as a noun. Broader: clever. Close: sly. Trap: running. Literature, news, and evaluations. Clever in a tricky way, not merely “smart”.

Near in meaning

sly

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