clever

英 ['klev?] 美['kl?v?]

反義詞

CET4TEM4考研CET6中頻詞核心詞匯

比較級:?cleverer;最高級:?cleverest;副詞:?cleverly;名詞:?cleverness;

clever 聰明的

來自PIE*gleibh,砍，劈，詞源同cleft,glyph.進一步來自PIE*skel,砍，劈，詞源同skill,scale. 引申詞義有鑒別能力的，聰明的。比較science,來自PIE*skei,砍，劈。

clever: clever: [13] Clever is rather a mystery word. There is one isolated instance of what appears to be the word in an early 13th-century bestiary, where it means ‘dextrous’, and the connotations of ‘clutching something’ have led to speculation that it may be connected with claw. It does not appear on the scene again until the late 16th century, when its associations with ‘agility’ and ‘sprightliness’ may point to a link with Middle Dutch klever, of similar meaning. The modern sense ‘intelligent’ did not develop until the 18th century.
clever (adj.): 1580s, "handy, dexterous," apparently from East Anglian dialectal cliver "expert at seizing," perhaps from East Frisian klüfer "skillful," or Norwegian dialectic klover "ready, skillful," and perhaps influenced by Old English clifer "claw, hand" (early usages seem to refer to dexterity). Or perhaps akin to Old Norse kleyfr "easy to split" and from a root related to cleave "to split." Extension to intellect is first recorded 1704.
This is a low word, scarcely ever used but in burlesque or conversation; and applied to any thing a man likes, without a settled meaning. [Johnson, 1755]
The meaning has narrowed since, but clever also often in old use and dialect meant "well-shaped, attractive-looking" and in 19c. American English sometimes "good-natured, agreeable." Related: Cleverly; cleverness.

1. Northbridge is a cool, calculating and clever criminal who could strike again.: 諾思布里奇是個頭腦冷靜、詭計多端、陰險狡詐的罪犯，他可能還會犯案。

2. Rowe does a very clever riff on the nature of prejudice.: 羅就偏見的本質講了一番很精辟的話。

3. Even clever people are not terribly clever when put on the spot.: 即便是聰明人在面對難題時也未必就能表現得特別聰明。