Synonym Chooser

How is the word skilled distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of skilled are adept, expert, proficient, and skillful. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

When might adept be a better fit than skilled?

The synonyms adept and skilled are sometimes interchangeable, but adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When can expert be used instead of skilled?

The meanings of expert and skilled largely overlap; however, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When is it sensible to use proficient instead of skilled?

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

proficient in translating foreign languages

When could skillful be used to replace skilled?

While in some cases nearly identical to skilled, skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

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 skilled Diners get to customize each plate from an endless selection of ingredients before handing it off to a skilled grill master who brings their vision to life. Chelsea Davis, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 These hospitals collectively generate profits of 10%, more than general hospitals, which earn about 6%, and far more than skilled nursing homes, which make less than 0.5%, according to the most recent data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent congressional agency. Kff Health News, Oc Register, 17 July 2025 There's plenty of room to hang out with large groups of friends, and service is great from attentive waitstaff and skilled bartenders. Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 17 July 2025 Now, skilled traditional trade work is on the rise—and billion-dollar grocery giant Whole Foods Market is reviving artisan skilled apprenticeships. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for skilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skilled
Adjective
  • Literacy expert Molly Ness, PhD, who was interviewed as part of her partnership with Amazon, notes that 65 percent of fourth graders aren’t reading at a proficient level.
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 24 July 2025
  • The law doesn’t specify a grade level for instruction but calls for all students to be proficient.
    Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Customer service reps, especially those with experience, are adept at handling these data discrepancies.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
  • The ants that nest in pots are adept at picking up their colonies and moving them quickly, says Liesch.
    Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • The key has been the gradual introduction of a new generation around the experienced core to supplement their talents with pace and vivacity.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 22 July 2025
  • The Meaning For The Industry Phosphor Capital represents a meaningful evolution in venture capital: one where experienced founders are becoming specialized backers who understand the YC journey firsthand.
    Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • The plaintiffs are also asking Battaglia to strike the testimony of the county’s expert six witnesses.
    Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025
  • Following the hollowing-out of the nation’s scientific infrastructure through deep funding cuts and the firing of federal scientists, the executive order is an attempt to rewrite the rules of how our expert bureaucracy operates.
    David Michaels, The Atlantic, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • The result is a skillful balance between dewy and glossy, blushy and gleamy.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 18 July 2025
  • But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • At Daniel Bey’s ranch house, in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, the 41-year-old cowboy and horseman readies his nylon and polyester rope with practiced ease.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025
  • Lurking in one of the aisles, a man quietly slipped an incendiary device, made from a cigarette, matches, and paper, into a section displaying foam rubber, with practiced ease.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Skilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skilled. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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