cannycan‧ny /ˈkæni/ adjective 
Word Origin
a canny political advisor2nice, good – used in Scotland: a canny lass—cannily adverb
Word OriginWORD ORIGINcanny
ExamplesOrigin:
1500-1600 ➔ CAN1EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Pete Chambers is a canny fellow. Not one to miss an opportunity.
- Robinson has benefited from some canny marketing.
- She's far too canny to keep her money in this country. She's got it safely hidden away in Switzerland, I expect.
- As always, the Liberals try to have it both ways, but they are up against canny farmers.
- He had real charm, which made canny figures such as Tolkien distrust him.
- If nothing else, Annaud proves himself a canny casting director with this movie.
- Nerve cells, canny little things, recycle their neurotransmitters.
- Perhaps a canny distributor will see possibilities for three trendy niche markets, Japanism, environmentalism and feminism.
- They were the sturdy facade, the ulterior design for a very canny flow of resources.
- Those who took his rewards, however, proved far cannier than their monarch.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone who is clever at dealing with people or situations► clever
1clever, careful, and not easily deceived, especially in business or politics: especially British /smart especially American intelligent in a practical way, and able to use your intelligence to get advantages for yourself: · Ben Gurion was a cool, calculating and clever politician.· They won the case by being clever and hiring influential lawyers to help them.· She was smart and knew how to get men to give her whatever she wanted.clever at doing something: · Doug's always been clever at finding the best deals available.
► shrewd a shrewd person is good at deciding what people, situations etc are really like, so that it is difficult to deceive them - use this especially about people who are successful in business: · As a manager, Watson is both shrewd and tough.· Are you a shrewd businessman, quick to see an opportunity or a bargain?· Sachs was a shrewd judge of character, and chose his staff well.
► astute someone who is astute easily understands why people behave in a particular way, why a situation is happening etc, without anyone having to tell them: · Morgan was surprised at how astute she was. "How did you know that?" he asked.· The scale of the riots seemed to surprise even the most astute commentators.financially/politically etc astute: · The President's wife is often politically astute, ambitious and very influential in White House policy decisions.
► canny someone who is canny is very clever, especially in business, so that it is difficult to deceive them and they are able to take advantage of other people: · Pete Chambers is a canny fellow. Not one to miss an opportunity.· She's far too canny to keep her money in this country. She's got it safely hidden away in Switzerland, I expect.
► resourceful clever at finding ways to deal with problems or difficult situations, using whatever material, information etc that is available to you: · We can influence our children's development by encouraging them to be resourceful when they play.· Keen competition in the arts, crafts and trade made the Greeks an inventive and resourceful people.
► streetwise someone who is streetwise has a lot of experience of life in big cities, so they know what to do in difficult or dangerous situations: · He seemed very streetwise for a kid who had just left school.· Zachar is a streetwise guy from New York, a gambler who grew up playing the horses at Belmont Park.
► be nobody's fool informal to be very difficult to trick or deceive because you have a lot of experience or knowledge of people: · Katherine could look after herself and she was nobody's fool when it came to money.
a canny political advisor2nice, good – used in Scotland: a canny lass—cannily adverb