variants
or dilettanti
1
as in amateurs
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scholars
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dilettantes
Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either.
—
Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Lela London, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilettantes
Noun
-
Both programs provide serious photographers with advanced editing tools, but Lightroom targets amateurs who value a streamlined, cross-platform experience, while Lightroom Classic caters to professionals who prefer a familiar interface and need printing and tethered shooting capabilities.—
Michael Muchmore,
PC Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
The introduction of this tournament helped transform football from a pure enjoyment into a competitive sport, first played by amateurs and later by professionals.—
Thomas Adam,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
But according to empathy scholars like Michael Ventura, the true power of empathy resides in the reduction of self not the centering.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Two centuries later, as modern scholars descend on the same house chasing a different historical puzzle, discoveries in one era echo into the other.—
Point Loma-Ob Monthly,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The 19th-century patent system rewarded tinkerers; corporate labs scaled systematic research; wartime partnerships mobilized national resources; and venture capital democratized risk-taking.—
David H. Hsu,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
Unlike her earlier Fame Monster remixes, which served utilitarian club fodder to capitalize on her debut, Dawn delightfully surrendered its source material to a wise cast of pop, rap, and dance tinkerers like Ashnikko and Dorian Electra.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Today the designation of waterman or -woman is bestowed upon ocean connoisseurs who excel at paddling, free diving, surfing, and navigation, and big-wave athlete Kai Lenny is one of those carrying on this legacy.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Longtime connoisseurs of the Sam’s Club bakery may recognize this one.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dilettantes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilettantes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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