different between shrewd vs willy

English

Alternative forms

• shrewde (obsolete)

Etymology

c. 1300, Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English scr?awa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent to shrew +? -ed. More at shrew.

The sense of "cunning" developed in early 16^th c., gradually gaining a positive connotation by 17^th c.

Pronunciation

• enPR: shro?od, IPA^(key): /??u?d/

• Rhymes: -u?d

Adjective

shrewd (comparative shrewder, superlative shrewdest)

1. Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
2. Artful, tricky or cunning.
3. (informal) Streetwise, street-smart.
4. Knowledgeable, intelligent, keen.
5. Nigh accurate.

6. Severe, intense, hard.

7. Sharp, snithy, piercing.

8. (archaic) Bad, evil, threatening.
   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene ii:

     Portia:

     There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,

     That steals the colours from Bassanio's cheek:

     Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world

     Could turn so much the constitution

     Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!— […]

9. (obsolete) Portending, boding.
10. (archaic) Noxious, scatheful, mischievous.
11. (obsolete) Abusive, shrewish.
12. (archaic) Scolding, satirical, sharp.
    • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act II Scene i:

      Leonato: By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.

Derived terms

• shrewdly
• shrewdness

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Etymology 1

From Middle English willy, willi, equivalent to will +? -y. Cognate with Dutch willig (“obedient, hearsome”), German willig (“willing”), Swedish villig (“willing, agreeable”).

Adjective

willy (comparative willier or more willy, superlative williest or most willy)

1. (obsolete) Willing; favourable; ready; eager.
2. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) Self-willed; willful.

Related terms

• ill-willy
• evil-willy

Etymology 2

From Middle English wil?e, from Old English wili? (“willow”). More at willow.

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. Alternative form of willow

Verb

willy (third-person singular simple present willies, present participle willying, simple past and past participle willied)

1. To cleanse wool or cotton, etc. with a willy, or willow.

Etymology 3

From Middle English wilie, from Old English wili?e, wile?e (“basket”), from Proto-Germanic *wilig? (“wicker basket”), from Proto-Indo-European *weliko- (“willow-tree”). More at weel, willow.

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (Britain dialectal) A willow basket.
2. (Britain dialectal) A fish basket.

Etymology 4

• Originally northern British usage, from the 1960s. Probably the simple use of a proper name as a pet name; compare dick, fanny and peter. Unlikely to be a contraction of Latin membrum virile, male member (that is, the penis), a Latin term used in English in the nineteenth century.

Alternative forms

• willie

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (hypocoristic, slang, childish) the penis.
2. (Britain, childish) Term of abuse.

Synonyms

• (penis): peter, johnson, wee-wee; see also Thesaurus:penis

Translations

Etymology 5

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

• willie

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (espionage) A person who is manipulated into serving as a useful agent without knowing it.

See also

• wet willy
• the willies
• willy willy
• willy-nilly