deft

adjective

ˈdeft 

: characterized by facility and skill

the photographer's deft use of lighting

the deft fingers of the trumpeter

deftly adverb

deftness

ˈdef(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for deft

dexterous, adroit, deft mean ready and skilled in physical movement.

dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.

unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss

adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.

the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause

deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

Examples of deft in a Sentence

The photographer is known for her deft use of lighting.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Their presence here reinforces what is already obvious: that Duccio displayed a deft hand at combining and recombining motifs and styles from others’ art, then putting his own spin on them. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 Oct. 2024

Elkin is deft but clear in reminding readers that there’s a distinction between badness and evil, or badness and hate. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024

Remembering Brownsville-native Kris Kristofferson Remembering Brownsville-native Kris Kristofferson 01:14 Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died. —CBS News, 30 Sep. 2024

This one is in the deft hands of Christophe Mittnacht, a biodynamic pioneer in the region. —Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

Note: Rather than being derived directly from Middle English, Modern English deft may go back to an unattested Old English *gedefte (with umlaut), with a meaning "fit, ready" developing to "apt, skilfull"; the sense shift is otherwise difficult to account for, though the lack of any certain attestation of deft in the sense "skillful" before the later 16th century makes this scenario hypothetical.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deft

adjective

ˈdeft 

: quick and skillful in action

knitting with deft fingers

deftly adverb

deftness

ˈdef(t)-nəs 

noun