Savvy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈsa-vē/ sav·vy

Meaning & Definition of Savvy

Savvy (adjective)

  1. having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters

Savvy (noun)

  1. practical know-how

Savvy (verb)

  1. understand

Savvy (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something

    "she's an excellent scholar of political science, but lacks the kind of savvy needed to run for public office"

    similar: chops, experience, expertise, know-how, moxie, proficiency, skills
    related: background, command, mastery, acquaintance, conversance, familiarity, intimacy
    opposite: inexperience
    near: ignorance, unawareness, unfamiliarity

Savvy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

    "a particularly savvy investor, he was among the first to see the potential in tech stocks"

    similar: astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, 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

Savvy (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to have a clear idea of

    "the man growled, Don't ever date my daughter again—you savvy?"

    similar: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand, pick up on
    related: absorb, digest, take in, realize, fathom, penetrate, pierce
    opposite: miss
    near: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Savvy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Savvy:

chops, experience, expertise, know-how, moxie, proficiency, skills, astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, sharp, sharp-witted, shrewd, smart, appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Savvy

Words with the opposite meaning of Savvy:

inexperience, unknowing, miss

Related Words for Savvy

background, command, mastery, acquaintance, conversance, familiarity, intimacy, artful, cagey, crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy, foxy, guileful, pawky, slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily, discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise

Near Antonyms of Savvy

ignorance, unawareness, unfamiliarity, 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

Word Forms of Savvy

Inflections: savvier, savviest, savvied, savvying

Derived words: savvily (adverb), savviness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Savvy

alteration of sabi know (in English-based creoles and pidgins), from Portuguese sabe he knows, from saber to know, from Latin sapere to be wise sage

First known use: 1826

Frequently Asked Questions about Savvy

What does "Savvy" mean?

"Savvy" means having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Savvy"?

Other words for "Savvy" include chops, experience, expertise, know-how, moxie, proficiency, skills and astute. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Savvy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Savvy"?

There are 110 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Savvy". Common alternatives include chops, experience, expertise, know-how, moxie, proficiency, skills, astute, canny and clear-eyed.

What is the opposite of "Savvy"?

Antonyms of "Savvy" include inexperience, unknowing and miss. Near antonyms include ignorance, unawareness, unfamiliarity and artless.

How do you use "Savvy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Savvy" in a sentence: "she's an excellent scholar of political science, but lacks the kind of savvy needed to run for public office"; "a particularly savvy investor, he was among the first to see the potential in tech stocks"; "the man growled, Don't ever date my daughter again—you savvy?".

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

"Savvy" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Savvy"?

"Savvy" is pronounced /ˈsa-vē/ and divided into syllables as sav·vy.

What is the origin of the word "Savvy"?

"Savvy" comes from alteration of sabi know (in English-based creoles and pidgins), from Portuguese sabe he knows, from saber to know, from Latin sapere to be wise sage. First known use: 1826.