skillful

[ skil-fuhl ]

adjective

1. having or exercising skill:

   a skillful juggler.

   Synonyms: ingenious, clever, apt, adept, deft, adroit, ready

   Antonyms: amateurish, clumsy, awkward

2. showing or involving skill:

   a skillful display of fancy diving.

3. Obsolete. reasonable; rational.

Other Words From

• skillful·ly adverb
• skillful·ness noun
• quasi-skillful adjective
• quasi-skillful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of skillful¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; skill ¹, -ful

Synonym Study

Skillful, skilled, expert refer to readiness and adroitness in an occupation, craft, or art. Skillful suggests especially adroitness and dexterity: a skillful watchmaker. Skilled implies having had long experience and thus having acquired a high degree of proficiency: not an amateur but a skilled worker. Expert means having the highest degree of proficiency; it may mean much the same as skillful or skilled, or both: expert workmanship. dexterous.

Example Sentences

They’re exacting and skillful at their jobs, but chaos follows and mistakes are made that have detrimental, often deadly, effects.

From Los Angeles Times

It was great play by Australia - a fantastic phase of four or five passes, a really skillful offload by Len Ikitau and there was no catching Max Jorgensen as he sprinted clear.

From BBC

For Tom Anderson, founder of Tom Anderson Guitarworks, who’s been a mentor and “second father” to Blackwell for 22 years, watching him go from a beginner to a skillful craftsman isn’t a surprise.

From Los Angeles Times

Nickel Creek played an intimate warmup show at Largo at the Coronet for a lucky crowd Wednesday that piled into the L.A. theater for a night of skillful, spellbinding folk music.

From Los Angeles Times

He was so skillful at just enough challenges.

From Salon

Related Words

• accomplished
• adept
• adroit
• competent
• experienced
• practical
• proficient
• seasoned
• skilled
• smart
• trained