knack

[nak]

noun

1. a special skill, talent, or aptitude.

   He had a knack for saying the right thing.

   Synonyms: dexterity, facility, aptness

2. a clever or adroit way of doing something.

3. a trick or ruse.

4. a sharp, cracking sound.

5. Archaic.,  a knickknack; trinket.

knack

/ næk /

noun

1. a skilful, ingenious, or resourceful way of doing something

2. a particular talent or aptitude, esp an intuitive one

Word History and Origins

Origin of knack¹

1325–75; Middle English: trick; perhaps same word as knak sharp-sounding blow, rap, cracking noise (imitative)

Word History and Origins

Origin of knack¹

C14: probably variant of knak sharp knock, rap, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

As I said on Match of the Day, he was a joy to watch and he has a wonderful knack of making the game look wonderfully easy.

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"I mean, it's always the plan, isn't it? But it doesn't always happen that way," he said of his knack of bagging wickets in the first over.

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Injuries to bowlers like Cummins and Josh Hazlewood would affect any team, though Australia have a knack of finding able substitutes.

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Through pluck, luck, and a knack for the theatrical, Penelope and Simon had managed to discover those exact words shortly before Penelope was whisked away to Plinkst.

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And you do seem to have a knack for handling them, Miss Lumley.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• aptitude 
• dexterity 
• flair 
• genius 
• ingenuity 
• propensity 
• quickness www.thesaurus.com
• savvy 
• skill