gifted
Americanadjective
-
having great special talent or ability.
the debut of a gifted artist.
- Synonyms:
- talented, accomplished
-
having exceptionally high intelligence.
gifted children.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- giftedly adverb
- giftedness noun
- overgifted adjective
- ungifted adjective
- well-gifted adjective
Etymology
Origin of gifted
Explanation
If someone calls you gifted, smile. It means you're talented. You might be gifted at dancing, or a gifted mathematician — you can also call your best friend a gifted actor, or feel envious that she's such a gifted French speaker. In any of these examples, it's as if nature or fate bestowed a gift on a lucky person. Gifted, in fact, comes from gift and its Old Norse root, gipt or gift, which means both "gift" and "good luck."
Vocabulary lists containing gifted
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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Fish in a Tree
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Alice McLeod was a highly gifted and accomplished pianist who later became renowned for her mastery of the harp.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
The sophomore novel marked the arrival of an intuitive stylist gifted at polyphonic prose.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Darlington were aiming to sneak a play-off spot at the end of the League Two season and in a match against Bury, were gifted the perfect start.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
"We should all cherish what we have been gifted."
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
“When you were in fourth grade, I may have been your boyfriend for about two weeks at a summer program for gifted children.”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
