Shrewd, 1) bad, evil, mischievous (German: boese, arg): “thy eyes' s. tutor, that hard heart of thine, hath taught them scornful tricks,” Ven. 500. “there is s. construction made of her,” Wiv. II, 2, 232. “prove a s. Caesar to you,” Meas. II, 1, 263. “so s. of thy tongue,” Ado II, 1, 20. “when she's angry, she is keen and s.” Mids. III, 2, 323. “there are some s. contents in yon same paper,” Merch. III, 2, 246. “endured s. days and nights,” As V, 4, 179. “her eldest sister is so curst and s.” Shr. I, 1, 185. I, 2, 60. I, 2, 60 I, 2, 60 “this young maid might do her a s. turn,” All's III, 5, 71. “foul s. news,” John V, 5, 14. “to lift s. steel against our golden crown,” R2 III, 2, 59. “made a s. thrust at your belly,” H4B II, 4, 228. “bears so s. a maim,” H6B II, 3, 41. “you are too s.” R3 II, 4, 35. “do my Lord of Canterbury a s. turn, and he is your friend for ever,” H8 V, 3, 178. “we shall find of him a s. contriver,” Caes. II, 1, 158. “'tis a s. doubt,” Oth. III, 3, 429. “this last day was a s. one to us,” Ant. IV, 9, 5.
2) sly, cunning, artful, arch: a s. unhappy gallows (Cupid) LLL V, 2, 12. “that s. and knavish sprite,” Mids. II, 1, 33. “a s. knave and an unhappy,” All's IV, 5, 66. “these women are s. tempters with their tongues,” H6A I, 2, 123. “a fit or two o' the face, but they are s. ones,” H8 I, 3, 7. “he has a s. wit,” Troil. I, 2, 206.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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