virtuoso
Americannoun
-
a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field.
-
a person who excels in musical technique or execution.
-
a person who has a cultivated appreciation of artistic excellence, as a connoisseur or collector of objects of art, antiques, etc.
-
Obsolete. a person who has special interest or knowledge in the arts and sciences; scientist; scholar.
adjective
noun
-
a consummate master of musical technique and artistry
-
a person who has a masterly or dazzling skill or technique in any field of activity
-
a connoisseur, dilettante, or collector of art objects
-
obsolete a scholar or savant
-
(modifier) showing masterly skill or brilliance
a virtuoso performance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of virtuoso
1610–20; < Italian: versed, skilled < Late Latin virtuosus virtuous
Explanation
A virtuoso is an incredibly talented musician. You can also be a virtuoso in non-musical fields. A politician who helps pass a lot of bills might be called a legislative virtuoso. A baseball player who hits a lot of home runs is a slugging virtuoso. Usually, this word applies to music. It's very common for a talented pianist or guitarist to be called a virtuoso. Whatever your talent, it's a huge compliment to be called a virtuoso.
Vocabulary lists containing virtuoso
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
He strikes every chord like a virtuoso, and he’s going to be a major player in the movies.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The “Domine Deus,” for example, is a genuine virtuoso aria for tenor—it was a favorite of Luciano Pavarotti’s and Enrico Caruso sang it in his final recording session.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
So, too, did Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, the Grammy Award-winning guitar virtuoso and singer whom mentor Buddy Guy called “the next explosion of blues.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Pep Guardiola is so smitten by Rayan Cherki that the Manchester City boss said he wanted to kiss the "incredible" French star after his virtuoso performance in Saturday's 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.
From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025
His musical efflorescence was tragically brief, but this is the man who turned the chord-strumming, jobbing electric guitar into a high-wire, virtuoso lead instrument, from also-ran to star turn.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
