Synonyms

deft

American

[deft] / dɛft /

adjective

defter, deftest

dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever.

deft hands;
a deft mechanic.

deft British

/ dɛft /

adjective

quick and neat in movement; nimble; dexterous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See dexterous.

Other Word Forms

deftly adverb
deftness noun
undeft adjective

Etymology

Origin of deft

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; variant of daft

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.

The Australian attack was too often too wide and England's number four tucked into cuts, deft glides and cover drives.

From BBC

Instead, it has all the hallmarks of both a black comedy comprising carefully crafted scenes and a deft character study made up of painstakingly applied warts-and-all detail.

From The Wall Street Journal

Poet Laureate, are “deft” and “counterintuitive, but never contrarian.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Because she is so deft when it comes to policy and economics, she also considers, ‘What can we do about this?’

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. Benedict balances the dangers in her book with colorful settings, deft characterizations and plenty of charm.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023