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cunning

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cunning¹

  • /ˈkʌnɪŋ/

Rhymes with -ʌnɪŋ

Where it comes 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. Cognate with Scots cunnand (“cunning”), German könnend (“able to do”), Icelandic kunnandi (“cunning”). More at con, can.

adjective more cunning · most cunning

  1. Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour. They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.

    Similar: astute, artful, cautelous, crafty, cunning, devious, diabolical, foxlike, foxy, frood, guileful, shrewd

  2. obsolete Skillful, artful. Esau was a cunning hunter.
  3. obsolete Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious. cunning work
  4. Maine, colloquial, dated Cute, appealing. everybody gives something to the cunning little boy; his eyes are large and soft, and he wears a pointed hat, and tight breeches, and jacket

cunning²

  • /ˈkʌnɪŋ/

Rhymes with -ʌnɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English cunning, kunnyng, partially from Old English *cunning (verbal noun), from Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”); partially from Old English cunnung (“knowledge, trial, probation, experience, contact, carnal knowledge”), from cunnian (“to search into, try, test, seek for, explore, investigate, experience, have experience of, to make trial of, know”), equivalent to con + -ing.

noun cunnings

  1. countable, uncountable Practical knowledge or experience; aptitude in performance; skill, proficiency; dexterity. indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.
  2. countable, uncountable Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft; artifice; skillful deceit; art or magic. Caliban: As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.
  3. countable, uncountable The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness; guile; artifice; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving, or deceitful.
  4. countable, uncountable The natural wit or instincts of an animal. the cunning of the fox or hare
  5. countable, obsolete, uncountable Knowledge; learning; special knowledge (sometimes implying occult or magical knowledge).

Similar: craftiness, foxship, list, abet, art, beguilement, craft, cunning, dodge, foxiness, guile, slyness, subtlety, wile, wiliness · Opposite: artlessness, bluntness, candor, honesty, innocence, naïveté, simplicity, veracity

Cunning³

proper noun Cunnings

  1. A surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: sly, craftiness, wily, slyness, tricksy, wiliness, guile, artful, guileful, knavish, crafty, dodgy, adroit, clever, tricky, ingenious

noun

Similar: craftiness, foxship, list, abet, art, beguilement, craft, cunning, dodge, foxiness, guile, slyness, subtlety, wile, wiliness · Opposite: artlessness, bluntness, candor, honesty, innocence, naïveté, simplicity, veracity

Translations

Every language

adj sly

Españolastuto, pillo, listo, cuco, pícaro, artero
한국어교활하다 gyohwalhada
日本語狡猾な kōkatsu na
中文狡猾 jiǎohuá, 狡詐 /狡诈 jiǎozhà, 狡黠 jiǎoxiá
Portuguêsastuto, esperto, matreiro
Françaisrusé
Deutschgerissen, schlau, listig, durchtrieben, hinterlistig, abgefeimt
Italianofurbo, astuto
Românăviclean, șiret
Русскийхи́трый xítryj, лука́вый lukávyj, кова́рный kovárnyj, проны́рливый pronýrlivyj, до́шлый dóšlyj
Tiếng Việtxảo quyệt, xảo trá, láu lỉnh
العربيةمَاكِر mākir

adj skillful

Españolastuto, ingenioso
日本語狡猾な kōkatsu na, 巧妙な kōmyō na
中文巧妙 qiǎomiào
Portuguêsastuto, esperto
Françaistalentueux
Deutschgeschickt, gewandt, ausgefuchst, gewitzt, gewieft, clever
Italianoingegnoso
Românăpriceput
Русскийуме́лый umélyj, иску́сный iskúsnyj, ло́вкий lóvkij

adj cute

Españolcuco, mono

noun aptitude

Españolhabilidad, cuquería
日本語狡猾 kōkatsu
Portuguêshabilidade
Românăcapacitate
Русскийуме́ние uménije, иску́сство iskússtvo

noun skill of being sly or deceitful

Españolardid, astucia, cuquería, taima, socaliña, treta
日本語狡猾 kōkatsu
Portuguêsardil, astúcia, esperteza
Françaisfourberie, sournoiserie
DeutschGerissenheit
Italianofurberia, furbizia
Ελληνικάπονηριά poniriá
Românăviclenie
Русскийкова́рство kovárstvo, хи́трость xítrostʹ

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MLA

"cunning." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cunning. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

cunning. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cunning

Chicago

"cunning." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cunning.

BibTeX
@misc{cunning_2026,
  title = {cunning},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cunning},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}