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

• artifice
• device
• dodge
• fetch
• flimflam
• gambit
• gimmick
• jig
• juggle
• play
• ploy
• ruse
• scheme
• shenanigan
• sleight
• stratagem
• trick
• wile

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

Grapevine has a flurry of talent including junior catcher Gianni Corral, an uncommitted recruit who was previously committed to Texas A&M. Outfielder Zachary Goldstein, also a junior, is a scrappy speedster with a knack for getting on base. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2025

Hemingway is a 6-foot-3, 284-pound defensive lineman from Conway, S.C., with a knack for getting after the quarterback. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2025

Born and raised in a Nigerian household in the U.K., Adepoju, 29, grew up with a knack for restitching thrift store finds into unique pieces. —Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

With strong ties to two main characters and a knack for investigative work that impressed Voight, Cook was a natural fit for Intelligence. —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 11 Apr. 2025

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