Astute — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ə-ˈstüt/ as·tute

Meaning & Definition of Astute

Astute (adjective)

  1. having or showing shrewdness and an ability to notice and understand things clearly, mentally sharp or clever; also, clever in the use of subtlety or strategy, crafty, wily

Astute (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

    "a police detective known to be an astute judge of character"

    similar: canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, shrewd, smart
    related: artful, cagey, crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy (chiefly British), foxy, guileful, pawky (chiefly British), slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily, discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise, experienced, veteran, discriminating, discriminative, agile, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, apt, ingenious, resourceful, calculating, scheming
    opposite: unknowing
    near: artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive, exploitable, gullible, unperceptive, unwise, dense, dull, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained, brain-dead, brainless, dim-witted, dopey, dumb, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, softheaded, stupid, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, weak-minded, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, thoughtless, witless, ignorant, uninformed

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Astute

The most common words with a similar meaning to Astute:

canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, shrewd, smart

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Astute

Words with the opposite meaning of Astute:

unknowing

Related Words for Astute

artful, cagey, crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy, foxy, guileful, pawky, slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily, discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise, experienced, veteran, discriminating, discriminative, agile, alert, brainy

Near Antonyms of Astute

artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive, exploitable, gullible, unperceptive, unwise, dense, dull, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained, brain-dead, brainless, dim-witted, dopey, dumb, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless, half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, softheaded

Word Forms of Astute

Derived words: astutely (adverb), astuteness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Astute

Latin astutus, from astus craft

First known use: 1565

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Astute

Frequently Asked Questions about Astute

What does "Astute" mean?

"Astute" means having or showing shrewdness and an ability to notice and understand things clearly, mentally sharp or clever; also, clever in the use of subtlety or strategy, crafty, wily. As an adjective, it is defined as: having or showing shrewdness and an ability to notice and understand things clearly, mentally sharp or clever; also, clever in the use of subtlety or strategy, crafty, wily.

What is another word for "Astute"?

Other words for "Astute" include canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing and savvy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Astute" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Astute"?

There are 57 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Astute". Common alternatives include canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp and sharp-witted.

What is the opposite of "Astute"?

Antonyms of "Astute" include unknowing. Near antonyms include artless, guileless, ingenuous and innocent.

How do you use "Astute" in a sentence?

Examples of "Astute" in a sentence: "a police detective known to be an astute judge of character".

Is "Astute" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Astute" is an adjective.

Is "Astute" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Astute" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Astute"?

"Astute" is pronounced /ə-ˈstüt/ and divided into syllables as as·tute.