cunning

Roget category 702

5. Words relating to the voluntary powers
› 5.3. Voluntary action
›› 5.3.2. Complex voluntary action

#702. Cunning

noun

cunning, craft — cunningness^†, craftiness etc. adj. — subtlety, artificiality — maneuvering etc. v. — temporization — circumvention.
chicane, chicanery — sharp practice, knavery, jugglery^† — concealment etc. 528 — guile, doubling, duplicity etc. (falsehood) 544 — foul play.
diplomacy, politics — Machiavelism — jobbery, backstairs influence.
art, artifice — device, machination — plot etc. (plan) 626 — maneuver, stratagem, dodge, sidestep, artful dodge, wile — trick, trickery etc. (deception) 545 — ruse, ruse de guerre [Fr.] — finesse, side blow, thin end of the wedge, shift, go by, subterfuge, evasion — white lie etc. (untruth) 546 — juggle, tour de force — tricks of the trade, tricks upon travelers — espieglerie [Fr.] — net, trap etc. 545.
Ulysses, Machiavel, sly boots, fox, reynard — Scotchman — Jew, Yankee — intriguer, intrigant^† — floater [U.S.], Indian giver [U.S.], keener [U.S.], repeater [U.S.].

verb

be cunning etc. adj. — have cut one's eyeteeth — contrive etc. (plan) 626 — live by one's wits — maneuver — intrigue, gerrymander, finesse, double, temporize, stoop to conquer, reculer pour mieux sauter [Fr.], circumvent, steal a march upon — overreach etc. 545 — throw off one's guard — surprise etc. 508 — snatch a verdict — waylay, undermine, introduce the thin end of the wedge — play a deep game, play tricks with — ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat.] — flatter, make things pleasant — have an ax to grind.
dodge, sidestep, bob and weave.

adjective

cunning, crafty, artful — skillful etc. 698 — subtle, feline, vulpine — cunning as a fox, cunning as a serpent — deep, deep laid — profound — designing, contriving — intriguing etc. v. — strategic, diplomatic, politic, Machiavelian, timeserving^† — artificial — tricky, tricksy^† — wily, sly, slim, insidious, stealthy — underhand etc. (hidden) 528 — subdolous^† — deceitful etc. 545 — slippery as an eel, evasive etc. 623 — crooked — arch, pawky^†, shrewd, acute — sharp, sharp as a tack, sharp as a needle^† — canny, astute, leery, knowing, up to snuff, too clever by half, not to be caught with chaff.
tactful, diplomatic, politic — polite etc. 894.

adverb

cunningly etc. adj. — slyly, slily^†, on the sly, by a side wind.

phrase

diamond cut diamond — a' bis ou a blanc [Fr.] — fin contre fin [Fr.] — something is rotten in the state of something is rotten in the state of Denmark" [Hamlet].

The content on this page comes straight from Project Gutenberg Etext of Roget's Thesaurus No. Two, which consists of the acclaimed work by Peter Mark Roget augmented with more recent material. Some changes were made to the formatting for improved readability.

Bold numbers signify related Roget categories. A dagger symbol (†) indicates archaic words and expressions no longer in common use.

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