dexterous
adjective
Did you know?
Dexterous comes from the Latin word dexter, meaning "on the right side." Since most people are right-handed, and therefore do things more easily with their right hand, dexter developed the sense of "skillful." English speakers crafted dexterous from dexter and have been using the resulting adjective for anyone who is skillful—in either a physical or mental capacity—since at least the early 1600s. The adjective ambidextrous, which combines dexter with the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," describes one who is able to use both hands in an equally skillful way.
Examples of dexterous in a Sentence
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 June 2023
He’s impressed by her ability to scale the wall like a dexterous koala.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023
When asked to draw a cat, Ameca produced a recognizable, if rudimentary, sketch of a feline, using a black marker held between her dexterous fingers on a whiteboard.
Unlike Sophia and Ameca, most freestanding, ambulatory robots do not look much like people.
—Sue Halpern, The New Yorker, 26 July 2023
The crucial partnership here is the one between director and performer, Gerwig and Robbie; anything Gerwig and Baumbach’s verbally dexterous script requires, from Barbie’s first teardrop to the final punchline, Robbie handles with unerring precision.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2023
Among all avian species, the ostrich stands out as one bird with a particularly sturdy and dexterous neck—qualities that are also appealing for robotic manipulators.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Apr. 2023
The use of breath to drive food is probably unique to elephants, with their dexterous trunks and familiarity with manipulating the act of blowing, which is commonly employed for self-comfort and acoustic communication.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 24 Nov. 2015
In the first movement his fluid, dexterous turns in the midst of rapid passagework impressed.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2023
The dexterous handheld gadget has a curved shape that is ideal for reaching all the angles inside of your bowl, making the whole endeavor go even smoother.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 July 2021
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dexterous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Latin dextr-, dexter on the right side, skillful
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Dexterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dexterous. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
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