Cunning
'kʌnɪŋ
Definitions
2 meaningsHaving or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion.
'kʌnɪŋ
Skillful in deception; sly.
The cunning thief managed to escape the guards.
💡 Simply: Imagine a friend who's really good at planning secret surprises or getting their way without being obvious about it. That's cunning! It's like being clever and a little sneaky.
👶 For kids: Being clever at tricking people or getting what you want.
More Examples
Her cunning plan involved several carefully orchestrated maneuvers.
He was a cunning negotiator, always looking for an advantage.
How It's Used
"The cunning fox outsmarted the farmer."
"The politician employed cunning strategies to win the election."
The quality of being cunning; the ability to achieve one's goals through deception.
'kʌnɪŋ
Skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.
She employed great cunning to outwit her opponents.
💡 Simply: Cunning is like having a secret superpower of being able to outsmart others or get things done in a clever way, maybe even a little tricky. It's about having cleverness used to your advantage, and sometimes at someone else's expense.
👶 For kids: Being smart and tricky at the same time.
More Examples
The success of the operation relied on his cunning.
His cunning was evident in how easily he manipulated the situation.
How It's Used
"He relied on his cunning to survive the harsh conditions."
"The game required strategic cunning to win."
Idioms & expressions
cunning plan
A clever and often deceitful plan.
"The villain devised a cunning plan to take over the kingdom."
fox cunning
Being very clever and sly
"The detective used his fox cunning to solve the mystery."
From Middle English *conning, from Old English *cunnan* ('to know, be able'), related to *can*. Over time it developed to mean skill, cleverness, and eventually deceitfulness.
Used in literature and historical accounts to describe characters and actions involving cleverness and deceit. Found in works from the medieval period onward.
Memory tip
Think of a fox – they're known for their cunning ways!