deft

[ deft ]

/ dɛft /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deft ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, deft·er, deft·est.

dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever: deft hands; a deft mechanic.

Nearby words

Origin of deft

1175–1225; Middle English; variant of daft

Related formsdeft·ly, adverbdeft·ness, nounun·deft, adjective

Synonym study

See dexterous.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for deftness

Her writing on books and the arts has been impressive in its breadth, depth, and deftness.
Pamela Paul Talks Future of New York Times Book Review|Steve Kettmann|April 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Suleiman's deftness and ability to win the trust of all parties have earned him high marks in Israel.
Omar Suleiman, Cairo's New Spymaster-in-Chief|John Barry|January 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The deftness of Smith's drafts(wo)manship can often be overlooked in her E.T.-proportioned figures.
A Woman in Full|Chloe Malle|February 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Jack made it seem so easy that the boys were amazed at the deftness with which he steered the boat.
Bob Hunt in Canada|George W. Orton

But not one of the collection will bore you; there is about them all too nice a deftness, too happy a gift of phrase.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, February 25, 1914|Various
The deftness of her fingers filled him with an unfamiliar, half-inquisitive wonder.
The Masquerader|Katherine Cecil Thurston
When my touch had mastered a certain sureness and deftness I planned a nude of Boy with the idea of later executing it in marble.
My Actor-Husband|Anonymous
Such an affair as the present, staged with a deftness that was almost beautiful, lay beyond her powers and those of her friends.
Howards End|E. M. Forster

British Dictionary definitions for deftness

deft

/ (dɛft) /

adjective

quick and neat in movement; nimble; dexterous

Derived Formsdeftly, adverbdeftness, noun

Word Origin for deft

C13 (in the sense: gentle): see daft

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

Word Origin and History for deftness

deft

adj.

Old English gedæfte "mild, gentle," differentiated in Middle English into daft (q.v.) and this word, via sense of "apt, skillful, adept." Cognate with Gothic gadaban "to be fit," Old Norse dafna "to grow strong," Dutch deftig "important, relevant."

deft

adjective, deft·er, deft·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of deft

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for deftness

deft

adjective

Word Origin for deft

deft