skillful

adjective

skill·​ful ˈskil-fəl 

1

: possessed of or displaying skill : expert

a skillful chef

2

: accomplished with skill

a skillful treatment

skillfully

ˈskil-fə-lē 

adverb

skillfulness noun

Synonyms

• adroit
• artful
• bravura
• deft
• delicate
• dexterous
• dextrous
• expert
• masterful
• masterly
• practiced
• practised
• virtuoso
• workmanlike

Choose the Right Synonym for skillful

proficient, adept, skilled, skillful, expert mean having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession.

proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

Examples of skillful in a Sentence

He is skillful at diplomacy.

an artist skillful in the use of color

the skillful manner in which the doctor and nurses treated the patient

These issues require skillful handling.

Recent Examples on the Web

The two crafted a thoughtful, skillful display of rap that proposes Gabe ‘Nandez as a chief antithesis to tired claims of lyricism’s death. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024

Their swift and skillful actions resulted in the successful resolution of a situation that could have tragically unfolded in a vastly different manner. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2024

Annette Bening has definitely delivered more subtle, skillful performances in her career. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2024

Their 1970 album Sunflower, a skillful group effort regarded today as one of the strongest works of their career, only reached #151 on Billboard. —Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

skillful

adjective

skill·​ful ˈskil-fəl 

1

: having or showing skill

2

: accomplished with skill

a skillful defense

skillfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

skillfulness noun