cleverness
gb/klˈɛvɚnəs/ us/klˈɛvɚnəs/
B2
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
general mental quickness and intelligence
The ability to think fast and understand ideas easily.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s cleverness at [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'clever' instead of 'cleverness' and say *'his clever is amazing'*. The correct noun form is 'his cleverness is amazing'. Also, 'cleverness' is usually uncountable, so avoid *'many clevernesses'*.
Synonyms
intelligence (More general and common; does not always suggest quick or practical thinking the way 'cleverness' often does.)
|
brainpower (Informal and vivid; emphasizes mental strength, often in problem-solving.)
|
mental sharpness (Suggests a quick, keen mind similar to 'cleverness', sometimes with a slightly more serious tone.)
Antonyms
stupidity (Direct opposite, suggesting very low mental ability or very poor thinking.)
|
dullness (Suggests a slow or weak mind that does not catch ideas easily.)
Collocations
natural cleverness
|show great cleverness
|admire her cleverness
|known for his cleverness
|remarkable cleverness
Themes
mind
|education
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her natural cleverness helped her learn the new software in just a few hours.
- The teacher praised his cleverness at finding simple solutions to hard problems.
- Despite his cleverness, he sometimes forgets very basic things.
- They were impressed by the boy's cleverness in class discussions.
- Cleverness alone is not enough; you also need hard work and patience.
Learner examples
- Her cleverness helps her get good grades.
- We all saw his cleverness when he fixed the computer.
- The company needs the cleverness of young workers.
- His cleverness makes difficult ideas easy to understand.
Noun
B2
property
2
inventive and effective problem-solving ability
The ability to make new and good ways to do things or fix problems.
Usage pattern:
cleverness in [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with general intelligence and use it when no real problem-solving or design is involved. Use this meaning especially when the focus is on smart solutions or creative methods.
Synonyms
ingenuity (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used for smart, inventive solutions or designs.)
|
resourcefulness (Emphasizes using what you have in a smart way, especially in difficult situations.)
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inventiveness (Focuses strongly on creating new ideas or things, less on simple quick thinking.)
Antonyms
clumsiness (Suggests awkward, poorly thought-out actions or designs instead of smart, effective ones.)
|
inefficiency (Opposes the idea of effective, smart solutions by pointing to wasted time or resources.)
Collocations
technical cleverness
|design cleverness
|cleverness in solving problems
|the cleverness of the system
|engineering cleverness
Themes
work
|technology
|creativity
|education
Examples
- The cleverness of the new app is that it works even without an internet connection.
- Her cleverness in managing the budget saved the charity thousands of dollars.
- The engineer's cleverness turned a simple idea into a powerful tool.
- I was amazed by the cleverness of their marketing strategy.
- The device shows a lot of technical cleverness but is still easy to use.
Learner examples
- The cleverness of this machine is very clear.
- Her cleverness in planning the project helped the team finish on time.
- We need more cleverness to solve this problem.
- The cleverness of the design makes the car safer.
Noun
B2
property
3
witty, quick, and funny speech
The ability to say smart and funny things quickly.
Usage pattern:
the cleverness of [someone]'s [remark / joke / response]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only 'funny' when they mean both smart and funny. Use 'cleverness' (or 'wit') when the humor also shows intelligence or quick thinking.
Synonyms
wit (Very close; strongly linked with humor and sharp, funny remarks.)
|
wittiness (Almost the same meaning; often used specifically for humorous cleverness.)
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quick thinking (Highlights speed of thought, not always humorous, but often used in a similar way.)
Antonyms
dullness (Suggests boring or slow conversation without smart or funny remarks.)
|
humorlessness (Direct opposite in social situations, meaning no sense of humor or funny remarks.)
Collocations
verbal cleverness
|the cleverness of his jokes
|sharp cleverness
|comic cleverness
|cleverness in her writing
Themes
communication
|culture
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- His cleverness on stage kept the audience laughing for an hour.
- The cleverness of her reply made everyone at the table smile.
- The film is loved for its cleverness and fast-paced dialogue.
- People enjoy his tweets for their mix of honesty and cleverness.
- Her cleverness in interviews makes even serious topics enjoyable to watch.
Learner examples
- We all laughed at his cleverness during dinner.
- The cleverness of the joke was hard to translate.
- Fans like the cleverness in her TV show.
- His cleverness makes boring meetings more fun.
Noun
C1
property
4
smart but possibly dishonest trickiness
Smart behavior that gets an advantage, sometimes in a way that seems a little dishonest or not honest.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s cleverness in [getting something / avoiding something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'cleverness' is always positive. In this sense, it can suggest smart but cold, tricky, or not fully honest behavior, especially in politics, business, or law.
Synonyms
cunning (Stresses clever planning, often with a negative or suspicious feeling.)
|
craftiness (Informal; suggests sneaky, sometimes dishonest tricks.)
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slyness (Highlights secret, sneaky behavior with a negative tone.)
Antonyms
honesty (Opposes the idea of using clever tricks by stressing direct, open behavior.)
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naivety (Opposite in sophistication; suggests someone who is too trusting and not at all tricky.)
Collocations
political cleverness
|lawyerly cleverness
|mere cleverness
|cheap cleverness
|cleverness of his tactics
Themes
ethics
|conflict
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Examples
- The deal showed more cleverness than honesty, and many voters felt tricked.
- His legal cleverness helped his client escape punishment on a technical detail.
- She saw through the cleverness of his excuses and refused to believe him.
- The movie critic complained that the script relied on cleverness instead of real emotion.
- There is a kind of cold cleverness in the way the company avoids paying taxes.
Learner examples
- Some people do not trust his cleverness in business.
- The cleverness of his plan was also a little scary.
- Her cleverness in court helped a guilty man go free.
- We must be careful; their cleverness may hide the truth.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cleverness
IPA
GB/klˈɛvɚnəs/
US/klˈɛvɚnəs/
Syllables & stress
clev - erness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (clev)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cleverness
- Plural: cleverness
Word family
Core family
clever
adjective B1
cleverly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unclever
adjective
Expressions
a piece of cleverness
1/ə pˈis əv klˈɛvɚnəs/
fixed phrase
one smart idea or action
One example of something that is very clever.
Examples
- That shortcut was a real piece of cleverness.
- The new button layout is a small piece of cleverness that saves users time.
cleverness for its own sake
1/klˈɛvɚnəs fɚ ˈɪts ˈoʊn sˈeɪk/
fixed phrase
clever but not useful behavior
Clever ideas or tricks that exist only to be clever, not to help or improve anything.
Examples
- Some readers feel the novel is full of cleverness for its own sake.
- The design shows cleverness for its own sake, but it is hard to repair.
show one's cleverness
1/ʃˈoʊ wˈʌnz klˈɛvɚnəs/
fixed phrase
display or prove your cleverness
To do something so that other people can see how clever you are.
Examples
- He designed a small game to show his cleverness to the hiring manager.
- She doesn't need to show her cleverness; everyone already respects her work.
technical cleverness
1/tˈɛknɪkəl klˈɛvɚnəs/
fixed phrase
smart use of technical skill
Cleverness that is shown in technology, engineering, or computer work.
Examples
- The product shows a lot of technical cleverness but may confuse new users.
- His technical cleverness helped the team solve a difficult software bug.