Streetwise (Adjective)
Meaning
Having the shrewd resourcefulness needed to survive in an urban environment.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- Growing up in a tough neighborhood had made her incredibly streetwise, able to navigate and protect herself in even the most hostile situations.
- Despite his privileged upbringing, his years living in the city had made him surprisingly streetwise, capable of handling himself in almost any circumstance.
- The streetwise teenager knew that it was best to avoid eye contact with potential aggressors and instead quietly assert her confidence.
- After years working as a city social worker, Emma had become increasingly streetwise, adept at reading the subtleties of her clients' often fraught lives.
- You'd have to be streetwise to survive on the streets of a city like New York, where only the sharpest and most resourceful can make a real name for themselves.