canny

C2+ Topic:Money & Finance

US /ˈkæni/ UK /ˈkæni/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
shrewd, careful, and quick-witted, especially in money matters

A canny investor, she sold just before the market dropped.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · shrewd, careful, and... shrewd astute prudent clever sharp cautious wary

Opposites

foolish reckless imprudent gullible

Word family

Forms cannilycanniness

Derived forms cannilycanniness

Related forms can cunning ken

Etymology

A Scots and northern English word from can ('to know how to, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'); originally 'knowing, prudent'.

cunnan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Money & Finance Word Formation & Derivatives

# canny

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈkæni
**IPA (UK):** ˈkæni

## Meanings
1. shrewd, careful, and quick-witted, especially in money matters

## Examples
- A canny investor, she sold just before the market dropped.

## Synonyms
- shrewd
- astute
- prudent
- clever
- sharp
- cautious
- wary

## Antonyms
- foolish
- reckless
- imprudent
- gullible

## Derived Forms
- cannily
- canniness

## Related Forms
- can
- cunning
- ken

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: cunnan

## Etymology
A Scots and northern English word from can ('to know how to, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'); originally 'knowing, prudent'.

## AI Etymology
Canny is a Scots and northern English word from can ('to know how to, be able'), from Old English cunnan ('to know'); originally 'knowing, prudent'. The historical trail runs through Old English cunnan. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means shrewd, careful, and quick-witted, especially in money matters. Derived formations include cannily, canniness; related forms include can, cunning, ken.

## Topics
- Money & Finance
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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