Synonyms of adept

adept 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdept 

as in skilled

having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor

he's an adept pitcher, and the team is lucky to have him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skilled
• proficient
• skillful
• experienced
• expert
• practiced
• good
• talented
• educated
• accomplished
• masterful
• great
• virtuoso
• gifted
• veteran
• practised
• master
• versed
• capable
• professed
• masterly
• consummate
• complete
• ace
• crackerjack
• crack
• competent
• trained
• adroit
• employable
• efficient
• dexterous
• dextrous
• effective
• deft
• qualified
• clever
• compleat
• handy
• able
• polished
• slick
• old
• knowledgeable
• taught
• effectual
• refined
• workmanlike
• schooled
• sure-handed
• fitted
• all-round
• well-rounded
• fit
• multiskilled
• all-around
• multitalented
• long-term
• habile
• tutored

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inexperienced
• incapable
• unskilled
• unable
• incompetent
• amateur
• inexpert
• inept
• weak
• amateurish
• unprofessional
• unqualified
• unfit
• unseasoned
• unskillful
• unfitted
• crude
• ineffective
• artless
• inefficient
• ineffectual
• rude
• would-be
• ignorant
• untrained
• inexperienced
• new
• untalented
• untutored
• jackleg
• beginning
• unschooled
• untaught
• green
• primitive
• raw
• untested
• untried
• unseasoned
• ungifted
• clumsy
• talentless
• unpolished
• rough
• awkward
• heavy-handed
• ham-fisted
• ham-handed

adept

2 of 2

noun

ˈa-ˌdept 

as in expert

a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

even by the standards of Washington, he's an adept at political intrigue and power politics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• expert
• master
• scholar
• virtuoso
• wizard
• proficient
• guru
• artist
• authority
• specialist
• maestro
• ace
• professional
• whiz
• consultant
• connoisseur
• sharp
• hotshot
• geek
• crackerjack
• fiend
• past master
• maven
• hand
• meister
• enthusiast
• shark
• mavin
• dab hand
• cognoscente
• craftsman
• dab
• pro
• crackajack
• fan
• devotee
• addict
• buff
• aficionado
• journeyman
• hired gun
• mistress
• afficionado
• Renaissance man
• jack-of-all-trades
• all-rounder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amateur
• novice
• beginner
• apprentice
• neophyte
• inexpert
• nonexpert
• layman
• dilettante
• dabbler
• nonprofessional

Synonym Chooser

How is the word adept distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of adept are expert, proficient, skilled, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When is it sensible to use expert instead of adept?

While in some cases nearly identical to adept, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is proficient a more appropriate choice than adept?

In some situations, the words proficient and adept are roughly equivalent. However, proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

In what contexts can skilled take the place of adept?

The words skilled and adept can be used in similar contexts, but skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might skillful be a better fit than adept?

The meanings of skillful and adept largely overlap; however, skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

Examples of adept in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Equally adept at whisking off makeup residue, sunscreen, and other impurities—while leaving moisture intact—the face wash is fortified with soothing botanical ingredients with a designer pedigree. —Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024

While national parks in desert settings are adept at dealing with the heat, parks in cooler climates -- like in Alaska -- are increasingly learning how to manage during heat waves or wildfire events, Smith said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2024

Noun

Colter’s reluctant guide is crusty Vietnam War vet Ike Fletcher (Brian Cox), a fly-fishing adept who’s gotten too old to venture to the stream alone. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 7 June 2023

Terence Nicholson, the former manager of the gallery and a martial-arts adept, subtracts the pop-culture element with a shadowy video of real kung fu moves. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023