Examples from texts
She busied herself more particularly with cookery and household affairs, but she also kept the accounts, being shrewd-witted and very economically inclined, on which account the prodigals of the family often made fun of her.Elle s’occupait surtout de la cuisine et du ménage, tenait également les comptes, fille de tête, d’une stricte économie, dont la plaisantaient les prodigues de la famille.Zola, Emile / FruitfulnessZola, Emile / Les Quatre Evangiles - FeconditeLes Quatre Evangiles - FeconditeZola, EmileFruitfulnessZola, Emile
They did not feel the need of him, they considered the step a mere formality, and perhaps a shrewd way to shelter their liberty beneath the wing of monarchy.Ils n’en sentaient pas le besoin ; ils ne virent dans cette mesure qu’une simple formalité, même un moyen ingénieux d’abriter leur liberté à l’ombre d’une monarchie.Zola, Emile / Contes à NinonZola, Emile / Stories for NinonStories for NinonZola, EmileContes à NinonZola, Emile
The Minister of State, a man of very shrewd mind and great experience, was particularly flattering. He had an idea that it was lucky to have a shallow-pated fellow for a friend.Le ministre d'État, un homme d'un esprit très délié et d'une grande expérience, se montra particulièrement plat; il avait pour principe que l'amitié des imbéciles porte bonheur.Zola, Emile / His ExcellencyZola, Emile / Son Excellence Eugene RougonSon Excellence Eugene RougonZola, EmileHis ExcellencyZola, Emile
And he seemed quite delighted with the success of his scheme, and again began to expatiate upon the advantages of such a marriage, as though he were some shrewd attorney negotiating an affair from which she would derive especial profit.Au contraire, il parut enchanté du succès de sa démarche; et il recommença à lui étaler les avantages d'un pareil mariage, comme s'il traitait, en avoué retors, une affaire particulièrement bonne pour elle.Zola, Emile / His ExcellencyZola, Emile / Son Excellence Eugene RougonSon Excellence Eugene RougonZola, EmileHis ExcellencyZola, Emile
He was again smiling with that shrewd smile of his in which there was so much raillery and so much intelligence.Il souriait de nouveau, de son joli sourire si fin, ou il y avait tant de moquerie et tant d’intelligence.Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - RomeLes Trois Villes - RomeZola, EmileThe Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile
In taking this direction, the shrewd girl did so to invite inquiry.En allant de ce côté, l’adroite Delaware cherchait à se faire interroger.Cooper, James Fenimore / The DeerslayerCooper, James Fenimore / Le tueur de daimsLe tueur de daimsCooper, James FenimoreThe DeerslayerCooper, James Fenimore© Wordsworth Editions Limited 1995
The girl's fair, thin face wore its wonted expression of shrewd intelligence, and even now, however woeful her rags, it was occasionally brightened by a childish smile.Et celle-ci, dans sa robe en loques, avait toujours sa mince figure blonde, intelligente et fine, qu’un rire de jeunesse égayait quand même par moments.Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - ParisLes Trois Villes - ParisZola, EmileThe Three Cities - ParisZola, Emile
As the Pope pronounced these last words he smiled a pale smile, in which the shrewd, conciliatory politician, who was determined not to allow his infallibility to be compromised in useless and risky ventures, was fully revealed.Il eut un pâle sourire où tout le politique conciliant et avisé apparut, bien résolu à ne pas laisser compromettre son infaillibilité dans des aventures inutiles.Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - RomeLes Trois Villes - RomeZola, EmileThe Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile
Then with the perfect frankness of a shrewd man who has made up his mind to explain his designs, he continued: ' I have very much to thank you for. You have prevented me from making many mistakes.Puis, avec l'abandon d'un homme fort qui consent à expliquer sa conduite: --J'ai beaucoup de remercîments à vous adresser, continua-t-il; vous m'avez évité bien des fautes.Zola, Emile / The Conquest of PlassansZola, Emile / La Conquete des PlassansLa Conquete des PlassansZola, EmileThe Conquest of PlassansZola, Emile
For my part, astonished at this sudden coquetry ; seeing the wicked creature laughing every now and then in her sleeve, I wondered which of us was transforming this simple girl into a shrewd woman.Moi, étonné de cette coquetterie soudaine ; voyant par instant la maligne rire sous cape, je me demandais lequel de nous transformait cette fille simple en rusée commère.Zola, Emile / Contes à NinonZola, Emile / Stories for NinonStories for NinonZola, EmileContes à NinonZola, Emile
His hair was much greyer and very thin about the temples, and there were lines of overwork below the eyes. But the eyes were the same as before, keen and kindly and shrewd, and there was no change in the firm set of the jaw.Ses cheveux étaient très gris et clairsemés près des tempes, mais les yeux restaient les mêmes: vifs, perçants, et pourtant bienveillants. Sa mâchoire carrée était toujours vigoureuse.Buchan, John / GreenmantleBuchan, John / Le prophète au manteau vertLe prophète au manteau vertBuchan, JohnGreenmantleBuchan, John© Wordsworth Editions Limited 1994
"Ah! my poor fellow," said she, "you're certainly not very shrewd."«Ah! mon pauvre garçon, lui dit-elle en l’apercevant, tu n’es décidément pas fort.Zola, Emile / The Fortune of the RougonsZola, Emile / La Fortune des RougonLa Fortune des RougonZola, EmileThe Fortune of the RougonsZola, Emile© 2006 BiblioBazaar
"Ah! well," she said, "I've come back again to my former opinion; you're not very shrewd.«Tiens, dit-elle, j’en reviens à ma première opinion: tu n’es pas fort.Zola, Emile / The Fortune of the RougonsZola, Emile / La Fortune des RougonLa Fortune des RougonZola, EmileThe Fortune of the RougonsZola, Emile© 2006 BiblioBazaar
Most leaders and executives of big business were shrewd enough to spread their funding round as a form of political insurance, once the Nazi breakthrough had taken place.Sitôt que les nazis eurent opéré leur percée, la plupart des patrons et des cadres des grandes entreprises furent assez malins pour diversifier leur financement et prendre ainsi des assurances politiques.Kershaw, Ian / Hitler. 1889-1936 HubrisKershaw, Ian / Hitler. 1889-1936 HubrisHitler. 1889-1936 HubrisKershaw, Ian© Ian Kershaw, 1998.© Flammarion, 1999, pour la traduction francaise. Edition revue, 2001.Hitler. 1889-1936 HubrisKershaw, Ian© 1998 by Ian Kershaw© 1939, 1943 by Houghton Mifflin Company
Calmed by the shrewd prudence characteristic of his race, the old carpenter made no haste to reply.Le vieil ouvrier ne se hâta pas de répondre. Toute la prudence avisée de la race l’avait calmé.Zola, Emile / The Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile / Les Trois Villes - RomeLes Trois Villes - RomeZola, EmileThe Three Cities - RomeZola, Emile
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Word forms
shrewd
adjective
| Positive degree | shrewd |
| Comparative degree | shrewder |
| Superlative degree | shrewdest |