adj.
(cleverer, cleverest)
- quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas.
▸skilful; adroit.
-
[with neg.]
Brit. informal healthy or well:
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I didn't feel too clever.
Phrase
- too clever by half
informal annoyingly proud of one's cleverness, and liable to overreach oneself.
Derivative
- cleverly adv.
- cleverness n.
Etymology
ME (in the sense ‘quick to catch hold’, later ‘manually skilful’, then ‘mentally agile’): perh. of Du. or Low Ger. origin, and rel. to cleave2.
