virtuoso

American  

[vur-choo-oh-soh] / ˌvɜr tʃuˈoʊ soʊ /

noun

• virtuosos,
  plural
• virtuosi
  plural

1. a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field.

2. a person who excels in musical technique or execution.

3. a person who has a cultivated appreciation of artistic excellence, as a connoisseur or collector of objects of art, antiques, etc.

4. Obsolete. a person who has special interest or knowledge in the arts and sciences; scientist; scholar.

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adjective

1. Also virtuosic of, relating to, or characteristic of a virtuoso.

   a virtuoso performance.

virtuoso British  

/ ˌvɜːtjʊˈɒsɪk, -səʊ, ˌvɜːtjʊˈəʊzəʊ /

noun

1. a consummate master of musical technique and artistry

2. a person who has a masterly or dazzling skill or technique in any field of activity

3. a connoisseur, dilettante, or collector of art objects

4. obsolete a scholar or savant

5. (modifier) showing masterly skill or brilliance

   a virtuoso performance

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• virtuosity
  noun
• virtuosic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• virtuosi
  plural
• virtuosos
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

virtuoso virtuosi virtuosos

He has scored eight goals in seven games - two goals behind tournament top scorer Mbappe - and has carried Argentina into the final with a series of virtuoso performances.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Jones stole the show with a virtuoso display at Wembley, playing a part in Notts' two first-half goals before adding the promotion-sealing third in a 3-0 victory.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Prior to getting “Backrooms” greenlighted, Parsons and the team at Oddfellows did a test shoot, which allowed an untested virtuoso the opportunity to familiarize himself with how a professional crew works.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 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

“Well, I don’t like to brag, but I am a virtuoso at the spoons.”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

The comedic virtuosi Laci Mosley and Lil Rel Howery play Owen’s bank colleagues, and the early scene where they frankly admit that they initially thought Owen’s fiancée was imaginary is rich.

From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

Paradoxically this most Australian of scientists probably could not have flourished in his native country, with its passion for putting ambitious virtuosi in their place—also known as “cutting down the tall poppies.”

From Scientific American ● May 26, 2020

The Jeffrey Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation once claimed, in a press release, to have provided “substantial backing” for Edge, which is there described as a “treasure trove of over 660 virtuosi, geniuses, and masterminds.”

From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2019

The line at El Canelo is long, the cleaver men are virtuosi, and the tab, $1 for each small taco, is extremely low.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2014

The Hungarian Rhapsodies, on the other hand, which are still more fantasias on the adopted matter than the operatic transcriptions, continue to be favourites of the virtuosi and the public.

From Franz Liszt by James Huneker

The wider public discovered Monroe, sporting long braided hair, in a TV talent show dedicated to young classical music virtuosos.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

And it’s all thanks to $150,000 pieces of technology—and the fast-twitch virtuosos who pilot them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

He thinks of composer Michael Giacchino “onstage with those virtuosos at their respective instruments; we work with masters all around us, so we have a lot of trust in them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

In the 20th century, white artists like Earl Scruggs, who popularized the bluegrass genre were largely seen as banjo virtuosos for their unique playing style.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2024

Stroke victims who have lost the ability to speak, for example, are virtuosos, because their infirmity has forced them to become far more sensitive to the information written on people’s faces.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• magician
• musician
• prodigy