deft β showing skill and cleverness; quick and skillful in movement or thought
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: showing skill and cleverness; quick and skillful in movement or thought
Pronunciation (IPA): /deft/
Example Sentences
- The surgeon's deft hands completed the operation in record time.
- With a deft flick of his wrist, the magician made the rabbit disappear.
- My grandma's deft cooking skills can turn leftover pizza into a gourmet meal somehow.
deft
ADJECTIVE[/deft/]
showing skill and cleverness; quick and skillful in movement or thought
The chef's deft hands slice vegetables into perfect ribbons in seconds.
With deft skill, what's left undoes the theft!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
π€Pronunciation
π³Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'deft,' a variant of 'daft,' which comes from Old English 'gedæfte' meaning 'apt, suitable, or mild.' The word's meaning shifted from 'gentle or mild' to 'skillful or clever' by the 15th century.
Breakdown
No productive morphemes; 'deft' is a monomorphemic word from Old English 'gedæfte' (ge- prefix + dæfte root), where the ge- prefix was eventually lost in modern English form
π΅Rhyme
πCollocations
πExamples
βThe surgeon's deft hands completed the operation in record time.β
βWith a deft flick of his wrist, the magician made the rabbit disappear.β
βMy grandma's deft cooking skills can turn leftover pizza into a gourmet meal somehow.β
βHe showed deft political maneuvering to avoid answering the embarrassing question.β
πRelated Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.