Definition of ADROIT

Choose the Right Synonym for adroit

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving. clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude. a person clever with horses adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties. an adroit negotiator cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating. a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something. an ingenious software engineer

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 adroit in a Sentence

Rumor has always played a role in politics, but rarely have the backstage operatives been so adroit, and so cynical, in their use of vitriol. — Walter Shapiro, Time, 10 July 1989 He was adroit with money and was blessed with the extraordinary Spanish gift of prolific, and even inchoate, invention. — V. S. Pritchett, "Goya … ," 1975, in A Man of Letters, 1985 Family medicine … is constructed around the unquantifiable idea that a doctor who treats your grandmother, your father, your niece, and your daughter will be more adroit in treating you. — John McPhee, Table of Contents, 1984 She is adroit at handling problems. with an adroit flick of the wrist, flipped the omelet into the air and landed it squarely back in the pan

Recent Examples on the Web The Conversation argues that Luther’s Reformation would not have happened without Erasmus, particularly the Dutch humanist and theologian’s adroit use of the printing press as an agent of change. — National Geographic, "What comes to those who persist?," 4 Nov. 2019 The menu is ever-changing, but constant in its reverence for local seafood and the adroit preparation and plating. — Melissa Buote, Bon Appétit, "Where the Waves Are Fast and the Food Is Slow," 7 Nov. 2019 Fink’s hands extend from the cufflinked sleeves of his pink dress shirt, his adroit fingers folding each side into increasingly smaller triangles. — Rachel Stafler, Town & Country, "The Secrets of the Last Great Butler," 27 Sep. 2019 An elegant house made over with adroit stylish details is the perfect setting for a cuisine splendidly poised between classic and contemporary. — Rand Richards Cooper, courant.com, "Review: Now in its third home, Metro Bis in Simsbury offers five-star harmony of setting, service and food," 18 Sep. 2019 As usual chez Linklater, adroit touches and modest grace notes are scattered all about. — Todd Mccarthy, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Where'd You Go, Bernadette': Film Review," 15 Aug. 2019 His reputation as an unusually eloquent and adroit musician has long been a matter of record. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fall arts 2019 | Music: Jazz legend Charles McPherson eager to keep growing," 15 Sep. 2019 For the Native American legend about why the bear has no tail, a sequence of adroit drawings further illumined Thompson’s lively narration and the characterful musical sound effects in Hitomi Oba’s score. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Musicians turn the Big Dipper into an ‘interstellar cantata,’ with help from NASA," 11 Sep. 2019 The artist masterfully layers it all into an adroit, if nightmarish, social critique. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "Fairy tales, video games, and hard labor in this artist’s hallucinatory films," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adroit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.