Ingenuity is the skill of inventing things and thinking up new ideas — especially clever little solutions when you do not have much to work with. A student who turns old bottles into lamps is showing ingenuity. So is someone who finds a new way through a puzzle.

Ingenuity巧思／發明的本事 is是 the skill of inventing things and thinking up new ideas發明事物、想出新點子的本事 — especially clever little solutions尤其是聰明的小辦法 when you do not have much to work with在資源不多的時候。A student who turns old bottles into lamps一個把舊瓶子變成燈具的學生 is showing ingenuity就是展現了ingenuity。So is someone who finds a new way through a puzzle找到解謎新方法的人也是一樣。

The word is usually uncountable: her ingenuity, a lot of ingenuity, not often “an ingenuity.” It is a warm, praising word; it points to a mind that can make and fix, not just a mind that knows facts.

The word這個字 is usually uncountable通常是不可數名詞: her ingenuity, a lot of ingenuityher ingenuity、a lot of ingenuity, not often "an ingenuity."很少說「an ingenuity」。It它 is a warm, praising word是一個溫暖、帶讚賞意味的字; it points to a mind that can make and fix它指的是一個能動手做、能修東西的頭腦, not just a mind that knows facts而不只是知道事實的頭腦。

Though actually, the history is a tangle. The Latin word behind it first meant the open, honest quality of a free-born person — closer to ingenuous. English later used ingenuity for clever inventing, because the word sits so near ingenious (clever). So the spelling family and the meaning family are not the same any more, and that is why this word and ingenuous keep tripping people.

Though actually不過其實, the history is a tangle它的歷史是一團亂麻。The Latin word behind it它背後的拉丁字 first meant最初指的是 the open, honest quality of a free-born person一個生來自由之人那種坦率、誠實的特質 — closer to ingenuous比較接近ingenuous的意思。English英文 later used ingenuity for clever inventing後來把ingenuity用在指聰明的發明, because the word sits so near ingenious (clever)因為這個字跟ingenious（聰明的）長得太近了。So the spelling family and the meaning family are not the same any more所以拼字上的親戚跟意思上的親戚已經不再是同一群了, and that is why this word and ingenuous keep tripping people這也是為什麼這個字常常和ingenuous把人搞混。