deft
Americanadjective
-
defter,
comparative
-
deftest
superlative
adjective
Synonym Usage
See dexterous.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of deft
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; variant of daft
Explanation
Deft means "showing cleverness and skill in handling things." What you want to see in football or basketball is some deft handling of the ball. Some people are physically deft, like accomplished athletes and ballet dancers. Their movements are fast, graceful, and deliberate. Others might be mentally or intellectually deft. You could describe a beautifully written essay as deft, or talk about a politician's deft work on an anti-bullying bill. The source of deft is the Old English gedæfte, "mild or gentle," which became deft in Middle English along with its meaning of "apt, skillful, or adept."
Vocabulary lists containing deft
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Cay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Centre-back Lisandro Martinez was outmuscled embarrassingly easily by Dominic Solanke, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens failing to read the striker's deft touch that crept in at the far corner.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“We hear the VP views Schmitt as trustworthy, intelligent, articulate and a deft political operator,” VandeHei wrote.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
And it concludes, in another deft turn, as a poignant character study.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Nadira Goffe praises Lanterns’ deft portrayal of the Black American experience.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
"Just so, yes. Do not squeeze it so tight, no, the grip must be deft, delicate."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Andrew Bayliss, the author of “Sparta: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Superpower,” is a defter writer than Xenophon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Even defter is Terrance Fleming’s channeling of a hippie Orsino, who lounges on cushions in the center of the in-the-round stage.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2021
Whatever one may wonder about Özil’s motivations, he has shown a defter touch on social media than most of his teammates have managed on the pitch since the season began.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 30, 2020
Ultimately, this is territory that’s been covered in hipper, defter ways over the last few years in features such as “Weekend” and “Like You Mean It” and in HBO’s bar-raising series “Looking.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2016
It is difficult to describe good people without making them seem dull; but luckily nature is defter than novelists, and it is quite possible to be good without being dull.
From Comedies of Courtship by Anthony Hope
The skill with which Friedan connects the dots between the subjugation of intelligent, educated women and the ruthless, calculated mind-numbing agenda of consumerism turns out to be her deftest move.
From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2025
Victoria Jones is a very amiable student from Lancashire who begins talking to me a mile a minute in a way that would defeat the deftest shorthand practitioner.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 5, 2017
Bourgue continued to produce an array of winners, including the deftest of drop shots, to delight the home crowd in Philippe Chatrier court.
From BBC ● May 25, 2016
Jay Roach’s movie follows the tribulations—and exhausted triumphs—of Dalton Trumbo, one of the deftest of American screenwriters.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 9, 2015
In spite of her accents of endearment, notes which she played with the deftest touch, I could understand that Master Jerry was still a little upon his dignity.
From Paradise Garden The Satirical Narrative of a Great Experiment by George Gibbs
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
