Deft — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈdeft/

Meaning & Definition of Deft

Deft (adjective)

  1. characterized by facility and skill

Deft (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. accomplished with trained ability

    "a luthier whose deft craftsmanship is prized by violinists the world over"

    similar: adroit, artful, bravura, delicate, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, practiced, skillful, virtuoso, workmanlike
    related: facile, smooth, artistic, creative, fancy, ingenious, neat, adept, clever, cunning, able, adequate, capable, competent
    opposite: amateur, amateurish, artless, rude, unprofessional, unskillful
    near: awkward, clumsy, crude, klutzy, ineffective, ineffectual, incompetent, inept

  2. skillful with the hands

    "the deft jeweler quickly attached the diamond to its mount on the gold band"

    similar: clever, cunning, dexterous, handy
    related: agile, flexible, graceful, limber, lissome, lithe, lithesome, nimble, spry, coordinated, able, adept, capable, competent, expert, habile, masterful, masterly, proficient, qualified, skilled, skillful, sure-handed, double-jointed, loose-jointed
    opposite: butterfingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, unhandy
    near: awkward, bungling, clumsy, fumbling, gauche, gawky, graceless, klutzy, rough-hewn, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungainly, ungraceful, wooden, uncoordinated, incapable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, maladroit

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Deft

The most common words with a similar meaning to Deft:

adroit, artful, bravura, delicate, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, practiced, skillful, virtuoso, workmanlike, clever, cunning, handy

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Deft

Words with the opposite meaning of Deft:

amateur, amateurish, artless, rude, unprofessional, unskillful, butterfingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, unhandy

Related Words for Deft

facile, smooth, artistic, creative, fancy, ingenious, neat, adept, able, adequate, capable, competent, agile, flexible, graceful, limber, lissome, lithe, lithesome, nimble, spry, coordinated, habile, proficient, qualified, skilled, sure-handed, double-jointed, loose-jointed

Near Antonyms of Deft

awkward, clumsy, crude, klutzy, ineffective, ineffectual, incompetent, inept, bungling, fumbling, gauche, gawky, graceless, rough-hewn, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungainly, ungraceful, wooden, uncoordinated, incapable, inexpert, maladroit

Word Forms of Deft

Derived words: deftly (adverb), deftness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Deft

perhaps continuing Middle English daffte, daft, defte "well-mannered, gentle, dull, foolish" daft

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Deft

Frequently Asked Questions about Deft

What does "Deft" mean?

"Deft" means characterized by facility and skill. As an adjective, it is defined as: characterized by facility and skill. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Deft"?

Other words for "Deft" include adroit, artful, bravura, delicate, dexterous, expert, masterful and masterly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Deft" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Deft"?

There are 44 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Deft". Common alternatives include adroit, artful, bravura, delicate, dexterous, expert, masterful, masterly, practiced and skillful.

What is the opposite of "Deft"?

Antonyms of "Deft" include amateur, amateurish, artless, rude, unprofessional, unskillful, butterfingered and ham-fisted. Near antonyms include awkward, clumsy, crude and klutzy.

How do you use "Deft" in a sentence?

Examples of "Deft" in a sentence: "a luthier whose deft craftsmanship is prized by violinists the world over"; "the deft jeweler quickly attached the diamond to its mount on the gold band".

Is "Deft" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Deft" is an adjective.

Is "Deft" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Deft" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Deft"?

"Deft" is pronounced /ˈdeft/.