Masterful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Masterful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. accomplished with trained ability

   "a masterful performance of a difficult piece for the violin"

   similar: adroit, artful, bravura, deft, delicate, dexterous, expert, 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. fond of ordering people around

   "a masterful coworker who liked to tell other people how to do their jobs"

   similar: authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic, bossy, despotic, dictatorial, domineering, imperious, overbearing, peremptory, tyrannical, tyrannous
   related: arrogant, assumptive, disdainful, fastuous, haughty, highfalutin, high-and-mighty, high-hat, huffy, important, lofty, lordly, overweening, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, proud, self-asserting, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity, commanding, controlling, dictating, regimental, arbitrary, high-handed, imperial, directorial, magisterial, aggressive, assertive, self-assertive, imperative, conceited, narcissistic, pompous, vain, all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent, firm, stern
   near: humble, meek, modest, unassuming, amenable, docile, obedient, tractable, indecisive, irresolute, acquiescent, compliant, passive, resigned, submissive, yielding

3. having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude

   "a masterful businesswoman who didn't hesitate to step on a lot of people as she climbed the ladder of success"

   similar: arrogant, assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, highfalutin, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity
   related: authoritarian, bossy, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, pontificating, condescending, disdainful, patronizing, impertinent, impudent, saucy, snobbish, snobby, snooty, blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, vain, vainglorious, complacent, conceited, egocentric, egoistic, egotistic, hubristic, narcissistic, orgulous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, self-flattering, self-loving, self-promoting, brash, forward, uninhibited, unreserved, extroverted, immodest
   opposite: humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious
   near: bashful, cowering, cringing, demure, diffident, introverted, mousy, overmodest, self-critical, self-doubting, sheepish, shrinking, shy, subdued, timid, acquiescent, compliant, deferential, meek, passive, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, unassuming, unobtrusive, yielding, quiet, reserved, retiring

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

   "a president who was celebrated as a masterful communicator of his administration's policies"

   similar: accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, consummate, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterly, practiced, professed, proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso
   related: adroit, clever, deft, dexterous, handy, slick, sure-handed, gifted, talented, polished, refined, effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike, able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored, all-around, well-rounded, long-term, old, multiskilled, multitalented
   opposite: amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful
   near: incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak, artless, crude, rude, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, talentless, ungifted, untalented, ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored, beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be, primitive, rough, unpolished, awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed