Synonyms of skilled

skilled

adjective

ˈskild 

as in skillful

having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor

a delicate brain operation requiring the services of a highly skilled surgeon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skillful
• adept
• proficient
• experienced
• expert
• talented
• practiced
• educated
• good
• accomplished
• gifted
• veteran
• great
• virtuoso
• masterful
• master
• practised
• versed
• capable
• professed
• consummate
• masterly
• complete
• ace
• trained
• competent
• employable
• crackerjack
• crack
• qualified
• efficient
• adroit
• effective
• dexterous
• dextrous
• clever
• compleat
• deft
• polished
• knowledgeable
• handy
• able
• old
• taught
• slick
• schooled
• workmanlike
• refined
• effectual
• fitted
• sure-handed
• multiskilled
• all-round
• well-rounded
• fit
• long-term
• multitalented
• all-around
• tutored
• habile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unskilled
• inexperienced
• amateur
• incompetent
• incapable
• inexpert
• unable
• weak
• unqualified
• inept
• unprofessional
• amateurish
• unseasoned
• unskillful
• unfit
• crude
• unfitted
• inefficient
• ineffective
• artless
• rude
• would-be
• ineffectual
• untrained
• inexperienced
• ignorant
• jackleg
• untalented
• new
• beginning
• unschooled
• untutored
• untaught
• green
• raw
• primitive
• untested
• unseasoned
• untried
• ungifted
• talentless
• unpolished
• rough
• clumsy
• awkward
• heavy-handed
• ham-fisted
• ham-handed

Synonym Chooser

How is the word skilled distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of skilled are adept, expert, proficient, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might adept be a better fit than skilled?

The synonyms adept and skilled are sometimes interchangeable, but adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When can expert be used instead of skilled?

The meanings of expert and skilled largely overlap; however, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is it sensible to use proficient instead of skilled?

In some situations, the words proficient and skilled are roughly equivalent. However, proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

When could skillful be used to replace skilled?

While in some cases nearly identical to skilled, skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of skilled

Each piece is a masterpiece, meticulously crafted by skilled artisans using the finest materials. —Fairchild Studio, WWD, 7 Dec. 2024

Restoring the roof would also enlist skilled carpenters, stone workers and artisans trained in ancestral techniques with roots in French and European history. —Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024

When examining adoption challenges, finance, cybersecurity, and enterprise software sectors face significant obstacles, such as skilled personnel shortages, data privacy issues, and integration with existing systems. —Quora, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

For years, this vital task of ensuring software quality has been the domain of skilled programmers, whose meticulous work has been crucial to launching reliable products and sometimes slows down the velocity of new features. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024