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

Chinese companies have proved to be skillful inventors, capable of competing with the world’s best, including Apple and Tesla. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025

There is also notable, skillful choreography from Niko Montelibano in the up-tempo songs that call for it. —Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025

That proved to be a tall task in a city known for jazz, with a long roster of skillful players he’d be pitted against in auditions. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2025

The live-to-film concert experience features a 70-person orchestra, a troupe of skillful dancers, state-of-the-art projection mapping images, and the Broadway show’s award-winning costumes and puppetry. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025

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