Antonyms for canniness


Grammar : Noun
Spell : kan-ee
Phonetic Transcription : ˈkæn i


Definition of canniness

Origin :
  • 1630s, Scottish and northern English formation from can (v.1) in its sense of "know how to," + -y (2). "Knowing," hence, "careful." A doublet of cunning that flowed into distinct senses. Often used superciliously of Scots by their southern neighbors (and their American cousins).
  • The Canny Scot is so well known as scarcely to require description. He carries caution, cunning, and selfishness to excess. Deceitful when a purpose is to be accomplished, he is not habitually deceitful. One thing he never loses sight of--his own interest. But of his own interest he is not the most enlightened judge. ["The Natural History of Scotsmen," in "The Argosy," December 1865]
  • Related: Cannily; canniness.
  • As in art : noun cunning
  • As in precaution : noun carefulness; preventative measure
  • As in one-upmanship : noun back-and-forth competition
  • As in calculation : noun forethought
  • As in prudence : noun carefulness
  • As in caution : noun alertness, carefulness
  • As in craftiness : noun artfulness
  • As in foxiness : noun artfulness
  • As in cleverness : noun brightness, ingenuity
  • As in slyness : noun artfulness
  • As in craft : noun deceit, scheme
  • As in discretion : noun caution, judgment
  • As in foresight : noun mental preparedness
  • As in forethought : noun mental preparedness
Example sentences :
  • Malcolm, with the canniness of his kind, at once told her he had had no luck.
  • Extract from : « Labrador Days » by Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
  • A dog is singularly destitute in what is called in Scotland, canniness.
  • Extract from : « Cats » by W. Gordon Stables
  • Carson, with the canniness so characteristic of the American, was not to be so easily convinced.
  • Extract from : « The Wolf Cub » by Patrick Casey
  • It was in the morning that the landlady showed her canniness.
  • Extract from : « Our Journey to the Hebrides » by Joseph Pennell and Elizabeth Robins Pennell
  • He gave a remarkable proof of his canniness in the successful outcome of his bargaining with the trustees of the British Museum.
  • Extract from : « Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists » by Various
  • People looked askance upon them as Scots, while innkeepers hated them for their poverty and their canniness.
  • Extract from : « The Great North Road: York to Edinburgh » by Charles G. Harper
  • Andrew Carnegie tells a good story illustrating the canniness of the Scot.
  • Extract from : « Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. I » by Various
  • He was, in a way, a Paul Revere spreading intelligence, and with Scotch canniness made a good bargain for himself.
  • Extract from : « The Alaskan » by James Oliver Curwood
  • With the canniness of her new-found love, Avice approached the subject in a roundabout way.
  • Extract from : « The Mark of Cain » by Carolyn Wells
  • The verses rang with New England canniness, and the familiar dialect acquired a dignity never before acknowledged.
  • Extract from : « Children's Stories in American Literature, 1660-1860 » by Henrietta Christian Wright

Synonyms for canniness

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019