dilettante 1 of 2

dilettante

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tinkerer
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession a dilettante at heart, she was never willing to commit the time and effort that ballet demands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in scholar
dated a person having a knowledgeable and fine appreciation of the arts she writes about art not from the point of view of an artist but from that of a committed dilettante

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun dilettante differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dilettante are amateur, dabbler, and tyro. While all these words mean "a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status," dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.

had no patience for dilettantes

When would amateur be a good substitute for dilettante?

Although the words amateur and dilettante have much in common, amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.

a painting obviously done by an amateur
remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

When is it sensible to use dabbler instead of dilettante?

The words dabbler and dilettante are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

Where would tyro be a reasonable alternative to dilettante?

The meanings of tyro and dilettante largely overlap; however, tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dilettante
Noun
He will be called a fascist and a coward and a dilettante. The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2024 Back in the 1930s, Cocteau was dubbed a dilettante. Harriet Quick, theweek, 17 July 2024 Bruce Wayne: To the public at large, Bruce Wayne is a shallow dilettante, apparently wasting his parents’ vast fortune on frivolous pursuits and hedonistic pleasures. Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 June 2024 Under the impression that Tom is good friends with his son, Dickie Greenleaf, a trust-fund dilettante who has decided to live in Italy to paint and dillydally instead of working with his father as planned, Mr. Greenleaf offers Tom money to go to Italy and convince the playboy to come home. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dilettante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettante
Adjective
  • Well, the moon-planet-star trio are among the brightest objects in our solar system, meaning the impending conjunction should be incredibly easy to spot for even the most amateur astronomers.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
  • When an amateur true crime investigator arrives with the intention of tracking down the town's serial killer, the unlikely pair strike a truce to avoid being caught – and might just find a love story in their own madness.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The tinkerer was a socialite and widow named Josephine Cochrane.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • His uncle Leo, a naval engineer, noticed that his nephew was a budding tinkerer and gave him a Kodak photo-chemistry set for his sixth birthday.
    Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel's military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.
    Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • An outer wall of the exhibit includes commentary through the centuries from great poets and scholars about the awe-inspiring site.
    Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Clearly frustrated, Palencia gave up five runs and recorded zero outs during the ninth inning of that 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, a last-place team with a largely inexperienced and nondescript lineup.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Having won five straight Ryder Cups and 12 of the last 13, the American team entered as the heavy favorite despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The foundation of any connoisseur seeking a piece of horological history, full of story and eternal appeal, must be honesty.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The one that connoisseurs tend to care about the most, of course, is India Pale Ale.
    Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The lower forecasts stem from the philosophy that the audience for this movie is niche-focused, limited to Demon Slayer devotees, and that no audience expansion is possible.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
  • His new album continues to showcase Worthington’s growing star power as an ardent devotee of country music’s timeless sounds.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dilettante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettante. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dilettante

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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