skillful

especially British, skil·ful

[skil-fuhl]

adjective

1. having or exercising skill.

   a skillful juggler.

   Synonyms: ingenious, clever, apt, adept, deft, adroit, ready
   Antonyms: amateurish, clumsy, awkward

2. showing or involving skill.

   a skillful display of fancy diving.

3. Obsolete.,  reasonable; rational.

Other Word Forms

• skillfully adverb
• skillfulness noun
• quasi-skillful adjective
• quasi-skillfully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of skillful¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; skill ¹, -ful

Synonym Study

Skillful, skilled, expert refer to readiness and adroitness in an occupation, craft, or art. Skillful suggests especially adroitness and dexterity: a skillful watchmaker. Skilled implies having had long experience and thus having acquired a high degree of proficiency: not an amateur but a skilled worker. Expert means having the highest degree of proficiency; it may mean much the same as skillful or skilled, or both: expert workmanship. See also dexterous.

Example Sentences

Able to switch moods and tones with a stylish, skillful ease, Trier brings out the best in all the film’s performers, mixing a knowing, bittersweet humor with deep insights.

From Los Angeles Times

Silcott’s ability to support the school financially grew out of skillful real estate investments, which began with a few buildings in Boston that he inherited from his mother.

From Los Angeles Times

He is a player with an admirable work ethic, so Liverpool will definitely be adding an honest and very skillful player into their squad.

From BBC

The good news is they are nowhere near as skillful, or as lucky, as Bush was when he lured America into two decades of destructive war.

From Salon

To generalize, we might describe Thracian art as embodying a barbaric style — not as a term of derision but merely descriptive of a blunt, skillful fierceness so often encountered in its forms.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accomplished 
• adept 
• adroit 
• competent 
• experienced 
• practical 
• proficient 
• seasoned www.thesaurus.com
• skilled 
• smart 
• trained www.thesaurus.com