deft
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See dexterous.
Other Word Forms
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
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List 6
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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.
Within those decades, there wasn’t just deft marketing campaigns and organic interest growth that raised American pistachio’s profile — there was punitive foreign policy on the world’s then-top pistachio producer.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
What I missed amid the novel’s deft personality critiques was precisely what Laura sees in her friends.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
A smart kick from Smith switched play to Tom Roebuck, and the Sale wing showed deft footwork to scamper in on the stroke of half-time.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
Margherita, who played Mrs. Wormwood in “Matilda the Musical” on Broadway, is a deft clown.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
“A scarf here. A cutlass there. One or two deft and tasteful suggestions. That’s all. The total effect is rather fetching.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
