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 Tech industry leaders, meanwhile, have long pushed for higher H-1B caps, citing demand for high-skilled talent that exceeds the domestic supply. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 Narcissistic kindness can take many forms, and some narcissists may be more skilled at concealing their real motives than others. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025 Neighbors worry a data center would create high-skilled jobs out of reach for residents in the predominantly Black area, where only about 11% of residents earn a degree beyond high school, according to the 2023 census. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025 Companies’ desire for skilled workers at lower wages can become a race to the bottom. Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for skilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skilled
Adjective
  • And Michigan's third grade reading scores have been stubborn, with the proportion of students scoring proficient or higher declining significantly from 2016 to 2025, from 46% of third graders at or above proficiency a decade ago to 39% on the test this spring.
    Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • About one-third of choice students met English language arts benchmarks on the test, while less than 30% were proficient in math.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Norwegian director Joachim Trier, best known for his Oslo trilogy (including the Oscar-nominated The Worst Person in the World, also starring Reinsve), is remarkably adept at unearthing universal truths from hyperspecific characters.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Shildt is as proactive (and arguably as adept) as any manager in the game at employing his relievers to navigate victories.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Space near the stadium is at a premium, and experienced tail-Gators often get up at the crack of dawn to stake out their territory.
    Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The Billboard Daily Crossword puzzle is powered by PuzzleMe™, created by an experienced team of crossword puzzle-making pros with oversight from the trivia hounds on Billboard’s staff.
    Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Beijing’s openness to foreign talent is at odds with Washington’s recent decision to hike the price of visas for talented workers as much as 50-fold.
    Semafor Events, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Katz came into a good situation in 2021 with a veteran, talented staff.
    Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ragnar is one of the very best Nordic crime writers, as skillful in thrillers like this series as in murder mystery stories.
    Anders de la Motte, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Setting boundaries requires a balance of self-awareness and skillful communication.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • To the practiced eyes of some observers, there are obvious clues that AI was used to produce the video.
    Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Now, Lavrov is such a practiced liar, he's been doing this for decades.
    NBC news, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Skilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skilled. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on skilled

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