deftness

[ deft-nis ]

noun

1. cleverness or skill in using either the body or mind; dexterity or nimbleness:

   He was a highly skilled artisan who used his tools with the deftness and certainty of genius.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deftness¹

deft ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

With the psychological deftness of a cult leader, Trump is able to infiltrate the shadowed corners of America’s consciousness, casting a sinister silhouette that bends reality into a fevered hallucination of chaos and bloodlust.

From Salon

With an offhand deftness, Ceylan lays bare the sort of master operator who hides in plain sight, skilled at ensnaring unwitting victims.

From Los Angeles Times

Emecheta, with immense deftness and subtlety, provides a haunting and forceful attack on patriarchy, sexism and misogyny in Nigeria, and indicates how they taint and limit a nation.

From New York Times

And Borgli, who serves as his own editor, weaves them into the narrative with a deftness that confounds our sense of what is and isn’t really happening.

From Los Angeles Times

Navigating diplomacy with one of the most important countries to Biden’s agenda has enabled Garcetti to flaunt his political deftness — and burnish his foreign policy credentials.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• nimbleness