Synonym Chooser

How does the noun tyro differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tyro are amateur, dabbler, and dilettante. While all these words mean "a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status," tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

When could amateur be used to replace tyro?

While the synonyms amateur and tyro are close in meaning, 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

In what contexts can dabbler take the place of tyro?

The synonyms dabbler and tyro are sometimes interchangeable, but dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

When can dilettante be used instead of tyro?

The meanings of dilettante and tyro largely overlap; however, 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

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 tyro If Fishman’s math holds up, ESPN could be looking at a 20% boost in overall revenue in just seven years’ time—a feat that likely would be wholly improbable if the sports unit were to maintain the status quo or promote the streaming tyro at the expense of the foundational TV network. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024 Rabe also steers the movie’s helm, alongside her life partner and fellow actor Hamish Linklater, and the tyro directors manage to thread a tricky needle with their first feature, navigating the chasm and the overlap between agitated and quiet, between cartoon brightness and angst. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2023 This intelligent, sensitive treatment of the rarely seen, everyday lives of young Palestinian citizens of Israel marks tyro feature writer-director Firas Khoury as a talent to watch, as well as a solid acquisition for Film Movement, the North American distributor. Alissa Simon, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022 Ayyub played another student leader, a tyro named Shiva Shekhar—not quite the main role, but a key one nevertheless, and a fillip to his career. Samanth Subramanian, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022 Outfitted in progressively more luscious frocks by Susan Hilferty, Feldstein makes a journey from nervy tyro to nervier pro. Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2022 The songs on the young rock tyro's debut album Teenage Heartbreak (out Friday) channel the irresistible riffs, explosive choruses and mix of lust, heartache, rebellion and angst that defined pop-punk's golden age. John Norris, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2021 When a tyro Steve Jobs or Bill Gates moved a lever back and forth, different configurations of those cylinders caused the Digi-Comp to compute Boolean logic operations. Jim Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyro
Noun
  • The blind spots of breakthrough technologies Like most of his peers, Farley sees AI’s potential for everything from improving warranty processes to training novice technicians to repair complex engines.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The novice user will rely on a single, default tool.
    Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Showcase the messy beginner stage, on social media, to your close circles of friends — not just the end product.
    Sinéad O'Sullivan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
  • This form of exercise is suitable for all fitness levels, especially beginners.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • He and his apprentices host glass- blowing classes on Fridays and Saturdays (reservation required), when guests can make anything from a bowl to a tumbler to an ornament.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The house’s historical and architectural value comes from its original creators—husband and wife Sheng Pao Sheng and Shao Fang Sheng, both former apprentices of Wright.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Jovic, 22, has been eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension with the Heat since July 1.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Stout smiled and said he is challenged every week as a rookie, and the bigger the challenge, the better.
    Vic Tafur, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And jazz-pop newcomer Laufey has made her mark by blending timeless sounds with Gen Z realities, building a strong audience of fans of her work and admirers of her musical ability.
    Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Forward and newcomer Kurtis MacDermid remains on the roster.
    Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Toney, a true freshman, leads the team with 22 catches and 268 yards with one touchdown catch.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Would Sanders be open to throwing the freshman into the fire on the road?
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tyro.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyro. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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