sound clever

Frequency: 6.88.5 per million words

Used when someone's words or ideas give the impression of being intelligent.

cleverVERB + clever

Categories:

sound

Examples (10)

  • He uses obscure vocabulary just to sound clever in meetings.
  • She managed to make a simple solution sound incredibly clever.
  • I'm not trying to sound clever, but have you considered rebooting the system?
  • His explanation was so convoluted that it failed to sound clever at all.
  • The politician's speech was designed to sound clever but lacked any real substance.
  • Does quoting ancient philosophers in a casual conversation really make you sound clever?
  • In his attempt to sound clever, he ended up confusing everyone.
  • The theory might sound clever on paper, but it's impractical in the real world.
  • Her witty retort at the press conference made her sound far more clever than her opponent.
  • You don't need to use jargon to sound clever; clarity is much more effective.