astute
uh-STOOTadjMeaning quick to see what matters and to use it well
Memory hook a STUDENT who spots it: a-STUTE. The teacher’s riddle hides a trick, and Lila spots it in a second: “It’s a trick question!” She is astute.
An astute reader will notice the clue hidden in the first chapter.
In context The astute shopkeeper noticed that umbrellas sold out on rainy mornings, so she began setting them by the door whenever rain was forecast.
Similar perceptive, sharp, shrewd, quick-witted
Opposite obtuse, dull, slow
From Latin astutus, “clever, crafty,” from astus (skill, cunning).