a talent

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A natural ability to do something well, especially something artistic or creative.

   Grammar: Countable here: you can have a talent, talents, or several talents.

   Patterns

   • a talent for something
   • a talent for doing something
   • have a talent for something

   She has a real talent for drawing animals.

   His talent for languages got him a job abroad.

   They spotted her talent for music when she was only six.

2. 2nouncountable

   A person who is naturally good at something, especially in sports or entertainment.

   Grammar: Used to talk about people, often in the phrase 'a young talent'.

   Patterns

   • a young talent
   • a local talent
   • one of the country's top talents

   The club is looking for young talent.

   She is one of the finest talents in the game.

Word forms

Common combinations

a natural talent

He has a natural talent for making people laugh.

show talent

The children showed real talent in the school play.

develop a talent

She developed her talent for painting over many years.

a talent show

Our class is organizing a talent show.

hidden talent

Everyone has a hidden talent waiting to be discovered.

Synonyms and how they differ

gift

A gift is often a natural ability you are born with; a talent can also be developed through practice.

skill

A skill is usually learned through training, while a talent is more inborn.

ability

Ability is a general word for being able to do something; a talent suggests something special or outstanding.

Word family

talented adjective

Having a natural ability to do something well.

talentless adjective

Having no natural ability; often used critically.

Commonly confused: a talent or talent scout?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a talent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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