Word a Day
cunning
What does cunning mean?
cunning (adjective): sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behavior.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use cunning in a sentence?
- Cunning men often pass for wise. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce cunning?
/ˈkʌnɪŋ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does cunning come from?
From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of cunning?
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “cunning”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “cunning” mean?
sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behavior
Right! That's what “cunning” means.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
Not quite: that's what contrary means.
including (almost) everything within its scope
Not quite: that's what inclusive means.
obligatory; required or commanded by authority
Not quite: that's what mandatory means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “cunning”?
serial
Not quite: serial means something else.
casual
Not quite: casual means something else.
crafty
Right!
strict
Not quite: strict means something else.
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