dexterous

adjective

dex·ter·ous ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs

variants or less commonly dextrous

Synonyms of dexterous next

: mentally adroit and skillful : clever

her dexterous handling of the crisis

: done with mental or physical skill, quickness, or grace : done with dexterity : artful

a dexterous maneuver

: skillful and competent with the hands

a dexterous surgeon

dexterously adverb

dexterousness noun

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for dexterous

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

Example Sentences

They praised her dexterous handling of the crisis. The movie is a dexterous retelling of a classic love story.

Recent Examples on the Web On Monday night, Mr. Netanyahu tried to pull off a similarly dexterous maneuver. —

Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2023 In humans the index and middle finger are typically more dexterous. —

IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2023 Often playing his portly figure off against his dexterous, gravity defying martial arts skills, Hung mixed action and comedy and sometimes striking social drama into the films that followed across the decade. —

Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2023 This wasn’t the only time Arsène proved to be distressingly dexterous. —

Courtney Vinopal, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2023 The Swampers’ dexterous Southern-funk. —

Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 26 Jan. 2023 How dexterous are its hands? —

Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2022 As the elephants maneuvered their dexterous noses, scientists filmed them with a high-speed camera. —

Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022 In particular, Apptronik developed Astra, a humanoid upper body for dexterous bimanual manipulation that’s currently being tested for supply-chain use. —

IEEE Spectrum, 21 Aug. 2022 See More

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.