cunning

About 3.25 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
2. adjective Skillful, artful.
3. adjective Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.

   cunning work

4. adjective Cute, appealing.
5. noun Practical knowledge or experience; aptitude in performance; skill, proficiency; dexterity.
6. noun Practical skill employed in a secret or crafty manner; craft; artifice; skillful deceit; art or magic.
7. noun The disposition to employ one's skill in an artful manner; craftiness; guile; artifice; skill of being cunning, sly, conniving, or deceitful.
8. noun The natural wit or instincts of an animal.

   the cunning of the fox or hare

Similar words

sly craftiness wily slyness tricksy wiliness guile artful guileful knavish

Often followed by

and of in to as than man little or

Word family

cunninger cunningest cunningly cunningness cunningnesses cunnings