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Showing results for deftness. Search instead for daftnesses.
Synonyms

deftness

American  
[deft-nis] / ˈdɛft nɪs /

noun

  1. cleverness or skill in using either the body or mind; dexterity or nimbleness.

    He was a highly skilled artisan who used his tools with the deftness and certainty of genius.

Etymology

Origin of deftness

deft ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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.

Lowry’s juggling of staff loyalty, curatorial independence and board direction required a deftness of touch and grace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

With an offhand deftness, Ceylan lays bare the sort of master operator who hides in plain sight, skilled at ensnaring unwitting victims.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2024

Mr Scalise will have to demonstrate a political deftness if he wants to avoid a similar fate.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2023

With comparable deftness, Kelly A. Harmon’s “Trumpets of Freedom” reassembles characters from “The Lighthouse at the End of the World,” then adds steampunk robots and that aeronautical buccaneer, Robur the Conqueror.

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2023

I was with her and marveled at my sister's deftness and complete lack of fear.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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.