deftly

American  

[deft-lee] / ˈdɛft li /

adverb

1. in a dexterous or nimble manner; skillfully.

   The nightjar, a nocturnal bird, is an aerial hunter capable of deftly snatching moths from the air in mid flight.

   With clear, concise prose, the author navigates deftly through a complex narrative of diplomacy, war, and politics.

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Etymology

Origin of deftly

deft ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When something's done deftly, it's accomplished with style and skill. You'd be sure to impress your friends if you grabbed three grapefruits, juggled them deftly, and returned them to their bowl, all while carrying on a conversation. A physical or athletic act can be done deftly, or easily and well, but deftly can also describe something done with cleverness or wit, like a musician writing song lyrics deftly. The Old English word gedæfte, which means "mild" or "gentle," is the root of the word deftly, whose meaning still has that sense of doing something both skillfully and gently, or effortlessly.

Example Sentences

Deftly unraveling the tangled politics of the moment, Mr. Wallace vividly shows La Guardia juggling factions of fusionist Republicans, communists, interventionists, isolationists, Tammany pols and a rat’s nest of the city’s fierce ethnic rivalries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Deftly walking the line between exploitation and control in “Honey Dont!,”

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

Deftly pulling her helmet onto her head, she describes the day's work.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2022

Deftly paced and judiciously detailed, the tale makes hay with the conventions of the 19th-century novel.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2022

Deftly he adds up our final scores on his pocket computer.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• ably
• adroitly
• artfully
• carefully
• cleverly
• coolly
• deliberately
• intelligently
• judiciously
• keenly
• knowingly
• skillfully
• slyly
• smartly