ingenious

adjective

in·ge·nious in-ˈjēn-yəs

: having or showing an unusual aptitude for discovering, inventing, or contriving

an ingenious detective

: marked by originality, resourcefulness, and cleverness in conception or execution

an ingenious contraption

obsolete : showing or calling for intelligence, aptitude, or discernment

ingeniously adverb

ingeniousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for ingenious

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving.

clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude.

a person clever with horses

adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

an adroit negotiator

cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating.

a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects

ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something.

an ingenious software engineer

Example Sentences

How many dog-size bathrobes (an ingenious device) are out there?

David Colman, Vogue, April 2001 … spacecraft engineers tried to come up with ways to "unstick" the antenna. Those attempts failed, but by ingenious software and mission-sequencing techniques … the Galileo mission was still able to fulfill nearly all of its scientific requirements and return a rich quantity of scientific data …

Louis Friedman et al., Encyclopedia of the Solar System, 1999 … an ingenious method of checking errors …

W. David Gardner, Datamation, June 1982 The book has an ingenious plot. She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly. It was ingenious of him to arrange the schedule so precisely. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Homemakers found ingenious ways to make do with what was available.

Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2022 The queen mother came up with an ingenious plan to secure her position as the kingdom’s preeminent politician.

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 In High Flying Bird, the NBA is in the middle of a work stoppage lockout, and crafty sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) stumbles upon an ingenious plan to save his job and agency by disrupting the power dynamics between players and owners.

Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 29 July 2022 Does Danny have an ingenious plan to pull off a heist of $32 million?

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2022 This former Men’s Health Grooming Award winner continues to get our praise thanks to its ingenious design.

John Thompson, Men's Health, 10 Nov. 2022 The Athenians’ respect for sortition is apparent in the ingenious design of their lottery machine, the kleroterion, which was used to select jurors.

Ariel Procaccia, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2022 There’s something elegant and ingenious about a simpler solution that performs just as well.

Seb Stott, Outside Online, 19 Oct. 2022 What makes these smokeless fire pits so fantastic are their incredible quality and ingenious design.

Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 11 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ingenious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.