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 .
cunning (comparative more cunning , superlative most cunning )
Sly ; crafty ; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:wily
1692–1717 , Robert South , Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions , volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI) , London:They are resolved to be cunning ; let others run the hazard of being sincere.
( obsolete ) Skillful , artful .
c. 1601–1602 (date written) , William Shakespeare , “Twelfe Night, or What You Will ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [ … ] (First Folio ), London: [ … ] Isaac Iaggard , and Ed[ ward] Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , [ Act I, scene v] :Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white / Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on.
( obsolete ) Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.
cunning work
( Maine , colloquial , dated ) Cute , appealing .
1857 , Barbara H. Channing, The Sisters Abroad, Or, an Italian Journey :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
→ Japanese: カンニング ( kanningu , “ cheating ” )
sly
Arabic: مَاكِر ( mākir )
Armenian: խորամանկ (hy) ( xoramank )
Belarusian: хі́тры (be) ( xítry )
Bulgarian: лука́в (bg) ( lukáv ) , кова́рен (bg) ( kováren ) , хи́тър (bg) ( hítǎr )
Catalan: astut (ca) , murri (ca) , maquiavèl·lic (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 狡猾 (zh) ( jiǎohuá ) , 狡詐 / 狡诈 (zh) ( jiǎozhà ) , 狡黠 (zh) ( jiǎoxiá )
Czech: prohnaný , mazaný , vychytralý (cs)
Dutch: sluw (nl) , doortrapt (nl) , geslepen (nl) , leep (nl)
Esperanto: ruza (eo)
Finnish: ovela (fi) , kiero (fi)
French: rusé (fr)
Galician: renarte , tréfego m , xistrón m , solerte , sangual , pillabán (gl) m , prosmeiro m , arteiro (gl) m , galdrido m , matreiro m
Georgian: ცბიერი ( cbieri ) , მზაკვრული ( mzaḳvruli ) , ქვეშქვეშა ( kveškveša ) , ეშმაკი ( ešmaḳi )
German: gerissen (de) , schlau (de) , listig (de) , durchtrieben (de) , hinterlistig (de) , abgefeimt (de) , listenreich , gefinkelt (de) , gefitzt (de)
Gothic: 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 ( listeigs )
Greek:
Ancient: κίδαφος ( kídaphos ) , πυκνός ( puknós )
Hungarian: ravasz (hu) , dörzsölt (hu) , csalafinta (hu) , cseles (hu) , alattomos (hu)
Ingrian: veekas , kavala
Irish: glic
Italian: furbo (it) , astuto (it)
Japanese: 狡猾な (ja) ( こうかつな, kōkatsu na )
Korean: 교활하다 (ko) ( gyohwalhada )
Kott: āru
Latin: vafer , callidus , versūtus
Latvian: viltīgs m
Lithuanian: gudrus m
Norman: rusé ( Jersey )
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: хꙑтръ ( xytrŭ ) , лѫкавъ ( lǫkavŭ )
Old English: ġēaplīċ
Ottoman Turkish: قورناز ( kurnaz ) , آصمق ( asmak )
Persian: مکار (fa) ( makkâr ) , رند (fa) ( rend )
Polish: chytry (pl) m , cwany (pl) m , przebiegły (pl) m , sprytny (pl) m
Portuguese: astuto (pt) , esperto (pt) , matreiro (pt)
Romanian: viclean (ro) m , șiret (ro) m
Russian: хи́трый (ru) ( xítryj ) , лука́вый (ru) ( lukávyj ) , кова́рный (ru) ( kovárnyj ) , проны́рливый (ru) ( pronýrlivyj ) , до́шлый (ru) ( dóšlyj )
Sanskrit: धूर्त (sa) ( dhūrta )
Scottish Gaelic: seòlta
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: лукав , препреден , подмукао
Roman: lukav (sh) , prepreden (sh) , podmukao (sh)
Slovak: mazaný , prefíkaný (sk)
Slovene: zvit (sl)
Spanish: astuto (es) , pillo (es) , listo (es) , cuco (es) , pícaro (es)
Swedish: slug (sv) , listig (sv)
Tagalog: tuso
Ukrainian: хи́трий ( xýtryj ) , лука́вий ( lukávyj )
skillful
Bulgarian: сръчен (bg) ( srǎčen ) , изкусен (bg) ( izkusen )
Catalan: astut (ca) , murri (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 巧妙 (zh) ( qiǎomiào )
Czech: šikovný (cs) , obratný (cs)
Dutch: handig (nl) , bedreven (nl)
Finnish: ovela (fi) , taitava (fi)
French: talentueux (fr) m
Georgian: ცბიერი ( cbieri )
German: geschickt (de) , gewandt (de) , ausgefuchst (de) , gewitzt (de) , gewieft (de) , clever (de) , schlau (de) , gefinkelt (de) , ausgeklügelt (de) , gefinkelt (de) , gefitzt (de)
Greek:
Ancient: στρεβλός ( streblós )
Hungarian: ügyes (hu)
Italian: ingegnoso (it)
Japanese: 狡猾な (ja) ( こうかつな, kōkatsu na ) , 巧妙な (ja) ( こうみょうな, kōmyō na )
Latin: callidus
Persian: گربز (fa) ( gorbez )
Polish: umiejętny (pl) m , wprawny (pl) m , zręczny (pl) m
Portuguese: astuto (pt) , esperto (pt)
Romanian: priceput (ro) m
Russian: уме́лый (ru) ( umélyj ) , иску́сный (ru) ( iskúsnyj ) , ло́вкий (ru) ( lóvkij )
Scottish Gaelic: seòlta
Slovak: chytrý
Spanish: astuto (es) , ingenioso (es)
Telugu: నేర్పరి (te) ( nērpari )
Translations to be checked
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 .
cunning (countable and uncountable , plural cunnings )
Practical knowledge or experience ; aptitude in performance; skill , proficiency ; dexterity .
2005 , Plato , translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist , page 236d :indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.
Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft ; artifice ; skillful deceit ; art or magic .
1610–1611 (date written) , William Shakespeare , “The Tempest ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [ … ] (First Folio ), London: [ … ] Isaac Iaggard , and Ed[ ward] Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , [ Act III, scene ii] :Caliban : As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.
The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness ; guile ; artifice ; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving , or deceitful.
The natural wit or instincts of an animal.
the cunning of the fox or hare
( obsolete ) Knowledge ; learning ; special knowledge (sometimes implying occult or magical knowledge).
skill of being sly or deceitful
Bulgarian: коварство (bg) ( kovarstvo ) , лукавство (bg) n ( lukavstvo )
Chukchi: гыттагыргын ( gyttagyrgyn )
Dutch: sluwheid (nl)
Esperanto: ruza (eo)
Finnish: oveluus (fi) , kierous (fi)
French: fourberie (fr) f , sournoiserie (fr) f
German: Gerissenheit f
Greek:
Ancient Greek: πανοῦργος ( panoûrgos )
Italian: furberia (it) f , furbizia (it) f
Japanese: 狡猾 (ja) ( こうかつ , kōkatsu )
Latin: versūtia f
Macedonian: итрина f ( itrina )
Maori: rauhanga
Middle English: sleighte
Norwegian: snedighet m
Polish: chytrość (pl) f , cwaniactwo (pl) n , przebiegłość (pl) f , spryt (pl) m
Portuguese: ardil (pt) m , astúcia (pt) f , esperteza (pt) f
Romanian: viclenie (ro) f
Russian: кова́рство (ru) n ( kovárstvo ) , хи́трость (ru) f ( xítrostʹ )
Spanish: ardid (es) m , astucia (es) f , cuquería f
Swedish: list (sv) , slughet (sv) c
Telugu: కపటము (te) ( kapaṭamu )