PERSPICACIOUS Synonyms: 160 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'perspicacious' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of perspicacious are astute , sagacious , and shrewd . While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden. // a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

Q: When is 'astute' a more appropriate choice than 'perspicacious'?

Although the words astute and perspicacious have much in common, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill. // an astute player of party politics

Q: In what contexts can 'sagacious' take the place of 'perspicacious'?

The synonyms sagacious and perspicacious are sometimes interchangeable, but sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness. // sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

Q: When could 'shrewd' be used to replace 'perspicacious'?

While in some cases nearly identical to perspicacious , shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment. // a shrewd judge of character

perspicacious

adjective

Definition of perspicacious next

as in wise

formal having or showing an ability to notice and understand things that are difficult or not obvious She considers herself a perspicacious judge of character. The critic made some perspicacious observations about the film.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective perspicacious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of perspicacious are astute, sagacious, and shrewd. While all these words mean "acute in perception and sound in judgment," perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and understand what is puzzling or hidden.

a perspicacious counselor saw through the child's facade

When is astute a more appropriate choice than perspicacious?

Although the words astute and perspicacious have much in common, astute suggests shrewdness, perspicacity, and diplomatic skill.

an astute player of party politics

In what contexts can sagacious take the place of perspicacious?

The synonyms sagacious and perspicacious are sometimes interchangeable, but sagacious suggests wisdom, penetration, and farsightedness.

sagacious investors got in on the ground floor

When could shrewd be used to replace perspicacious?

While in some cases nearly identical to perspicacious, shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness and judgment.

a shrewd judge of character

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of perspicacious The 'perspicacious' Marvin Harrison Jr., and what that means for the Cardinals Like the former Ohio State star, Devin, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, also was a receiver. —

Doug Haller, The Athletic, 29 July 2024 If a new Bridgerton-sibling romance each season is the series’ gimmick, then Penelope has proven to be its soul—a vividly realistic protagonist whose perspicacious alter ego tethered each fairytale courtship to earth. —

Judy Berman, TIME, 14 June 2024 More perspicacious than angry invective alone, that alchemy of tones has been her signature since the early ’90s, when a 20-something Hanna fronted Bikini Kill, the punk band that became the most visible act associated with the third-wave feminist movement known as riot grrrl. —

TIME, 7 May 2024 One of the few perspicacious journalists of the Trump era, Graeme Wood, put it pithily: The Deep State is in the White House, and Trump appointed it. —

Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023 With the help of friends in the publishing world, Jaffrey’s draft landed in the hands of the perspicacious Knopf editor Judith Jones in 1971. —

Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 Photographs show Pym looking jolly and perspicacious, with charmingly crooked English teeth. —

Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 This particular Ferrari F50 was delivered new, in 1996, to Étienne Léandri, a defense lawyer and perspicacious Ferrari collector from Monaco. —

Robert Ross, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2022 As some of the nation’s most perspicacious observers have noted, self-regulation is a crucial component of fixing what’s wrong with social media. —

Gilad Edelman, Wired, 30 Sep. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perspicacious

Adjective

Fun fact: People born in the Year of the Snake are said to be wise, observant and resourceful, but can also be possessive, cautious and secretive, per the Chinese Language Institute.

— Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
More importantly, cheaper trims will arrive later in 2025, which is wise, because the Launch Edition's tall ask of $71,995 almost doubles the starting sticker of an Equinox EV, seriously eclipses either a Model Y, EV6, or Ioniq 5, and also somehow costs more than a Polestar 3 or even a Lucid Air.

— Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2025