Cunningnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Marked by the quality of being clever and deceitful in achieving goals; characterized by the ability to use intelligence to manipulate situations for personal gain; exhibiting a shrewd and crafty mindset in various endeavors
2. Defined by a trait of being sly and skillful in deceptions; encompassing the ability to strategize cleverly to outsmart others; illustrated by a mentality that seeks advantageous outcomes through guile
3. Involving a disposition that employs wit and trickery to navigate challenges; relating to the aptitude for cunning plans to achieve one's objectives; displaying a talent for cleverness that often edges into deceitfulness

Etymology: "Cunningnesses" is the plural of "cunningness," a noun formed from the adjective "cunning" plus the suffix "-ness." Cunning itself is an older word than its modern sense of sly deceit suggests: it comes from Middle English "conning," meaning knowledge or skill, which is the sense that survives in phrases about being cunning with tools. The suffix does the grammatical work here. "-ness" was an Old English abstract-noun ending, attached to adjectives to name a quality, so "cunningness" simply names the state of being cunning. Its plural form "cunningnesses" is rare, used when one speaks of several distinct instances or kinds of crafty behaviour rather than the quality in general.

Synonyms: craftiness, slyness, cleverness, shrewdness, deviousness

Antonyms: naivety, honesty, candor, simplicity, openness