Definitions: (1) cunningly artful; (2) keen-witted in practical concerns; possessing useful smarts, insightful; (3) acute perception and sound judgment; savvy, sharp, argute
Synonyms: Shrewd stresses pragmatic cleverness; astute combines shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill; perspicacious implies unusual power to see through, and understand, what is puzzling or hidden; sagacious suggests wisdom, penetrating thought, and farsightedness.
Balancing Qualities: Honest, Tactful
Quotes:
• Every spirit makes its house, and we can give a shrewd guess from the house to the inhabitant. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American poet
• Why do you need street smarts? Shrewdness? Toughness? It’s to protect something soft that is going to be in danger if it’s exposed at the wrong time and place. It’s to protect a soul. But to protect your soul, you have to have one to start with. — Peter Charles Schjeldahl (1942-2022) American art critic, poet, & educator