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

The Met Store sells jewelry, home gifts, books, stationery, and other knick-knacks inspired by the art, architecture, and gardens of medieval Europe. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Dugger got temperatures rising with a good training camp and a knack for making plays in the preseason, finishing with 10 tackles and two quarterback hits in the finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The speed came from mom, the passion and knack for baseball from his father, who played Division III ball. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

Sinéty developed a knack for finding within quotidian domestic and village scenes—a woman brushing her hair, a picnic in the sun—a dreamlike sense of mystery. — Felix Bazalgette, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 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