knack

noun

ˈnak 

1

: a special ready capacity that is hard to analyze or teach

2

a

: a clever trick or stratagem

b

: a clever way of doing something

3

archaic : an ingenious device

broadly : toy, knickknack

Synonyms of knack

• ruse
• trick
• scheme
• device

Choose the Right Synonym for knack

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something.

gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

Examples of knack in a Sentence

She has a knack for telling interesting stories.

The jazz musician has an incredible knack for improvisation.

Recent Examples on the Web

His knack of finding the ball in the right place at the right time in the opposition box has already yielded two goals, and Marcelo Bielsa’s team are not exactly overloaded with reliable goalscorers. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Although Knox didn’t originally plan to go into politics, his family displayed a knack for the field. — Mary Ramsey updated June 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026

An outsider in pop and a viral hitmaker Born June 29, 1993 in California, Oliver Tree Nickell June, a pop outsider with a knack for internet virality, was known for his own myth-making. — Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

As a rookie, Freeman displayed a knack for making big plays. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knak

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for knack

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• lac
• lack
• lak

Kids Definition

knack

noun

ˈnak 

1

: a clever or skillful way of doing something : trick

2

: a natural ability : talent

has a knack for making friends