Meaning & use
adept
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Very skilled at a task or activity because of practice or natural ability.
Grammar: Usually followed by at with an -ing form or noun, sometimes by in formal use.
Patterns
- adept at doing something
- adept at something
- highly adept
- become adept
She is adept at calming nervous patients.
He became adept at fixing old radios.
The translator is adept in several dialects.
nouncountableformalrare
A person with high skill in a demanding or specialized activity.
Grammar: Formal or old-fashioned; the adjective is far more common in everyday English.
Patterns
- an adept in something
- a skilled adept
The manuscript names him an adept in court ritual.
Only a true adept could read the damaged inscription.
Word forms
| comparative | more adept |
|---|---|
| superlative | most adept |
Common combinations
- adept at handling pressure
- Paramedics must be adept at handling pressure.
- adept with tools
- He is adept with tools and built his own desk.
- highly adept
- The guide is highly adept at spotting distant birds.
- become adept
- With practice, she became adept at sign language.
- adept in negotiation
- The diplomat is adept in negotiation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- skilled
- Skilled is broader and more common; adept often suggests practiced ease in one area.
- proficient
- Proficient means competent through training, while adept can imply unusually smooth ability.
- expert
- Expert is stronger and often means recognized authority; adept need not be famous or complete.
- adroit
- Adroit suggests quick, clever handling, especially of words or problems; adept fits steady practical skill.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: adept or adapt? adept or adopt?
adept vs adapt
Adapt means adjust to new conditions; adept means skilled, and the spelling differs by one vowel.
adept vs adopt
Adopt means take up or legally take as one's own; it is unrelated to skill.
Practice
Choose the best completion: Good editors are adept ___ spotting tiny inconsistencies.
Choose one answer.
The standard pattern is adept at doing something; on, to, and for do not collocate with adept in this structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adept”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.