master

1 coming before all others in importance thought of themselves as belonging to humanity's master race Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, foremost, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least

2 having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor a master craftsman who makes fine wood furniture of his own designs Synonyms accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, consummate, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, proficient, masterful, masterly, practiced (also practised), professed, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuosoRelated Words adroit, clever, deft, dexterous (also dextrous), handy, slick, sure-handed; gifted, talented; polished, refined; effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike; able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified; educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored; all-around (also all-round), well-rounded; long-term, old; multiskilled, multitalentedNear Antonyms incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak; artless, crude, rude; ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient; talentless, ungifted, untalented; ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored; beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be; primitive, rough, unpolished; awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handedAntonyms amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful

1 a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field a master at chess Synonyms ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack (also crackajack), dab [chiefly British], dab hand [chiefly British], fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, expert, maven (also mavin), meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizardRelated Words pro, professional; consultant, hired gun, specialist; addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan; craftsman, journeyman; all-rounder [British], jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man; mistressNear Antonyms apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice; dabbler, dilettante; layman, nonprofessionalAntonyms amateur, inexpert, nonexpert

2 one that defeats an enemy or opponent little did the tennis pro know that his new student would someday become his master Synonyms beater, conqueror, victor, subduer, trimmer, vanquisher, whipper, winnerRelated Words champ, champion, finalist, placer; dominator, overdog, ruler, subjugator, top dogNear Antonyms punching bag, pushover, quitter; failure, flop, washout; underdogAntonyms loser

3 the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do I'm the master of this operation, and you'll do what I say Synonyms boss man, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, honcho, jefe, kingpin, leader, boss, taskmasterRelated Words directress, mistress; administrator, commander, director, executive, general, governor, hierarch, higher-up; leadman, manager, overseer, principal, skipper, standard-bearer, steward, straw boss, superintendent, superior, supervisor; dominator, lord, overlord, potentate, ruler, sovereign (also sovran); figurehead; slave driver; baron, czar (also tsar or tzar), king, magnate, mogul, president, prince; big cheese, big gun, bigwig, top dog, top gun; cohead, coleader; employer, gaffer [British], ganger [British]; micromanager; subchief, subdirectorNear Antonyms dependent, inferior, junior, secondary, subject, subordinate, underling

1 to achieve a victory over finally mastered her longtime opponent at chess Synonyms best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down [British], get, get around, lick, beat, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worstRelated Words sweep; edge (out), nose out, pip [British]; annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke [slang], snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax [slang], whip; cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed; knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish; ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, excel, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcendNear Antonyms fall, give up, go down, go under; collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash outAntonyms lose (to)

2 to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in I think I've mastered algebra at last Synonyms get, learn, pick upRelated Words apprehend, comprehend, grasp, know, understand; absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in), imbibe; ascertain, descry, detect, determine, dig up, discern, discover, examine, find out, hear, hit (on or upon), run down, scare up, search (for), see, track (down), tumble (to), unearth; major (in), study; memorizeNear Antonyms forget; misunderstand; miss, overlook; disregard, ignore, neglectAntonyms unlearn