: characterized by facility and skill
the photographer's deft use of lighting
the deft fingers of the trumpeter
deftly adverb
deftness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for deft

dexterous, adroit, deft mean ready and skilled in physical movement.

dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.

unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss

adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.

the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause

deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

Examples of deft in a Sentence

The photographer is known for her deft use of lighting. a luthier whose deft craftsmanship is prized by violinists the world over
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Related Stories Yet Castro, in collaboration with deft editor Carolina Siraqyan, manages to weave in segments that subtextually address some of the not-so-pristine shades of Abraham Quintanilla’s presence in his children’s lives. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025 Her hair was styled by Rena Calhoun, who is a deft hand at leading lady hair: from a chic chignon on Hunter Schafer to Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau’s sleek bob. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025 By all accounts, Ms. Bissell was a one-woman social network, a deft saloniste who seemed to know everybody of any significance in every field. Penelope Green, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025 Greathead is deft at dishing out such dialogue, too, and chapter after chapter, as George ages and a variety of crises large and small arise, this episodic novel seems a form of first-rate TV sitcom between covers. Kendal Weaver, Boston Herald, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deft 

Word History

Etymology

perhaps continuing Middle English daffte, daft, defte "well-mannered, gentle, dull, foolish" — more at daft

Note: Rather than being derived directly from Middle English, Modern English deft may go back to an unattested Old English *gedefte (with umlaut), with a meaning "fit, ready" developing to "apt, skilfull"; the sense shift is otherwise difficult to account for, though the lack of any certain attestation of deft in the sense "skillful" before the later 16th century makes this scenario hypothetical.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deft was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near deft

Cite this Entry

“Deft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deft. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

deft

adjective
: quick and skillful in action
knitting with deft fingers
deftly adverb
deftness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on deft

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