canny
/ˈkæni/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.89 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
Very, considerably; quite, rather.
Example Sentences
- "The politician gave a canny response to the reporter’s questions."
- "O! as thou art bonny, be prudent and canny,"
- "“Canny now, lads, canny now!” exclaimed old Mucklebackit, who acted as commodore; “swerve the yard a bit—Now—there! there she sits safe on dry land.”"
- "The canny lawyer knew just how to get what he wanted."
- "‘Paris Hilton is A-list. She’s a genuinely really big star,’ said Professor Robert Thompson, a popular culture expert at Syracuse University. She’s also a canny money-making machine."
- "Then again, in war, politics and life, it’s always wiser to treat your adversary as a canny fox, not a crazy fool."
Etymology
Northern English dialect, from can (“to know”) ( + -y), from Middle English can, first and third person singular of cunnen, connen (“to be able, know how to”), from Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”). Compare Scots canny, English cunny, Old English cann (“knowledge, assertion”). More at can, cunning.