Definitions
- Describing someone who is skilled at making things by hand. - Referring to someone who is clever and resourceful in a practical way. - Talking about someone who is sly or devious in a subtle way.
- Describing someone who is skilled at achieving their goals through deceit or trickery. - Referring to someone who is shrewd or sly in a manipulative way. - Talking about someone who is able to outsmart others through cleverness or guile.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe someone who is clever or resourceful.
- 2Both words can have negative connotations.
- 3Both words can be used to describe someone who is sly or devious.
- 4Both words can be used to describe someone who is able to outsmart others.
What is the difference?
- 1Crafty emphasizes skill and resourcefulness in a positive way, while cunning emphasizes deceit and manipulation in a negative way.
- 2Crafty is often associated with practical skills, such as making things by hand, while cunning is associated with mental or social skills, such as outsmarting others.
- 3Crafty can be used to describe someone who is clever in a harmless or innocent way, while cunning is almost always used to describe someone who is trying to gain an advantage over others.
- 4Crafty can be used as an adjective or noun, while cunning is usually used as an adjective or in the phrase 'cunning plan.'
- 5Crafty is more commonly used in everyday language than cunning.
Remember this!
While both crafty and cunning describe someone who is clever or resourceful, the difference between them lies in their connotation and emphasis. Crafty emphasizes skill and resourcefulness in a positive way, often associated with practical skills, while cunning emphasizes deceit and manipulation in a negative way, often associated with mental or social skills. Crafty can be used to describe someone who is clever in a harmless or innocent way, while cunning is almost always used to describe someone who is trying to gain an advantage over others.
