cunning

英 ['k?n??] 美['k?n??]

反義詞

CET6低頻詞CET6+TEM4CET4IELTSGRE考研常用詞匯

副詞:?cunningly;

cunning 狡猾的

cun-,詞源同can,知道，了解。此處用作貶義。

cunning: cunning: [13] Cunning did not always have its present-day negative connotations. At first it was a term of approval, meaning ‘learned’. It is connected in some way to the verb can, which originally meant ‘know’, although it is not altogether clear whether it is a direct use of the present participle of the English verb, or whether it was borrowed from the related Old Norse kunnandi, present participle of kunna ‘know’. Either way, it is a parallel formation to canny [16]. The sense ‘skilfully deceitful’ developed towards the end of the 16th century.
=> canny
cunning (adj.): early 14c., "learned, skillful," present participle of cunnen "to know" (see can (v.1)). Sense of "skillfully deceitful" is probably late 14c. As a noun from c. 1300. Related: Cunningly.

1. His cunning and guile were not attributes I would ever underestimate.: 我從未對他的狡猾和奸詐掉以輕心。