Both Uses of
cunning
in
The Tell-Tale Heart
- Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!†
cunningly = in a manner that is clever and typically that includes tricking others
- I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong.†
*
Definitions:
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(1)
(cunning as in: a cunning thief) being good at achieving goals through cleverness -- and typically through deception as well (tricking others)
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) At one time, cunning was also used as a synonym for cute.