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

We can practice doing it deftly, focusing on our genuine beliefs, fears, and hopes.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

"Both the State and Murdaugh's defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter," the justices wrote.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

As the somewhat predictable plot unfolds, Ms. Brown deftly sketches the main characters: a genial Oxford don, a dog-loving manuscript expert, an elegant Austrian scholar, a pompous Princeton professor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

As their characters, Conforti, Blanchard and Ardies, deftly carve out discrete personalities beneath their plum-colored homogeneity, each playing a role that is, in turn, playing a role while also remaining desperately human.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

He yelled out “Ow!” and instead of catching Dimple, used his arms to fend her off with a deftly executed karate chop.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

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