Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

art

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of art

1 an occupation requiring skillful use of the hands

  • one of the country's finest practitioners of the art of cabinetmaking
Synonyms of art

craft, handcraft, handicraft, trade
Words Related to art

skill

calling, métier (also metier), occupation, profession, vocation

2 subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something

  • while some people see it simply as mindless fun or exercise, there is an art to skateboarding
Synonyms of art

adeptness, adroitness, artfulness, artifice, artistry, cleverness, craft, cunning, deftness, masterfulness, skill, skillfulness
Words Related to art

dexterity, ease, finesse, handiness

experience, expertise, expertness, know-how, proficiency

creativity, ingenuity, inventiveness, knowledge, learning

aptitude, bent, flair, gift, knack, talent
Near Antonyms of art

amateurishness, awkwardness, clumsiness, crudeness, klutziness, rudeness

inability, inadequacy, inadequateness, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficacy, inefficiency
Antonyms of art

artlessness, ineptitude, ineptness, maladroitness

Synonym Discussion of art

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised. art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power.
    • the art of choosing the right word
skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency.
    • the skill of a glassblower
cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing.
    • a mystery plotted with great cunning
artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature.
    • believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice
craft may imply expertness in workmanship.
    • the craft of a master goldsmith

Learn More about art

  1. See words that rhyme with art Dictionary: Definition of art Medical Dictionary: Definition of art Spanish Central: Translation of art Nglish: Translation of art for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of art for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about art

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up art? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games