noun
-
a skilful, ingenious, or resourceful way of doing something
-
a particular talent or aptitude, esp an intuitive one
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of knack
1325–75; Middle English: trick; perhaps same word as knak sharp-sounding blow, rap, cracking noise (imitative)
Explanation
If you have a knack for doing something, you do it well. You may have a knack for baking cakes or a knack for cracking jokes. These things come easy to you. Although the noun knack refers to a special talent, the sense is that it is a more innate talent — as opposed to a certain technique. So if someone instinctively has a talent for fixing plumbing, for example, you can say they have a knack for it. If, however, they unclog a sink by having a wrench in one hand and a how-to book in the other, then they may have the technique, but they probably don't have the knack.
Vocabulary lists containing knack
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
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Just Mercy
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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.
See Examples For:
With a knack for picking winners, Lindzon had been invested in the chip space for five or six years, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Effort, spirit and the knack of producing big moments are commendable but will only take you so far - in England's case, not far enough.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Throughout his career, Shreiber had a knack for finding business opportunities in strange places, and a talent for turning around struggling companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
He’s barely remarked on when he enters a room and yet, as a representative of God and the Church, he has a knack for seeing situations clearly, broadly and with insight.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
I have a knack for knowing what needs to be said and done.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
Polaroids, knick knacks and mementos are carefully arranged in various tableaus — much as he left them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025
While there's nothing wrong with a little decluttering, you don't have to shed your quirky knick knacks if you don't want to.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2022
“Just the little knicks and knacks that Kyle brought to me, that’s when I learned the most,” Oliver said.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
I’m just a fan of knick knacks and it’s a cool little music man robot.
From The Verge ● May 18, 2018
If we were born with all these knacks inbuilt, automated like ants, we would surely miss the variety.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
