Meaning & use
deft
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Quick, neat, and skilled in the way you move your hands or body.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a deft touch, her fingers were deft.
Patterns
- deft at doing something
- a deft movement
The chef made a deft cut and the fish fell open.
With a deft flick of her wrist she sent the ball over the net.
He is deft at folding paper into animals.
adjectivecomparableapprovingfigurative
Showing smooth skill and good judgment in handling a difficult or delicate situation.
Grammar: Applies to actions or approaches, not only physical movement: deft diplomacy.
Patterns
- a deft handling of something
- deft at something
The mayor's deft handling of the crisis calmed the crowd.
She gave a deft reply that avoided an argument.
Their deft diplomacy prevented a trade war.
Word forms
| comparative | defter |
|---|---|
| superlative | deftest |
Common combinations
- deft hands
- The tailor's deft hands sewed the hem in minutes.
- deft touch
- The pianist played with a deft touch.
- deft move
- A deft move by the goalkeeper saved the match.
- deft handling
- Her deft handling of the complaint saved the sale.
- deftly executed
- The plan was deftly executed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nimble
- Nimble emphasizes light, quick movement, whereas deft emphasizes accurate, skillful handling.
- adroit
- Adroit is more formal and is often used for clever thinking or social skill rather than just hands.
- dexterous
- Dexterous is more technical and focuses on skill with the hands, while deft adds smoothness and ease.
- skillful
- Skillful is general, and deft adds the idea of speed and neatness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: deft or daft?
deft vs daft
Daft is a British informal word meaning silly, which looks similar but means nearly the opposite of skilled.
Practice
With a ______ twist of the wrist, the barista flipped the cup and handed it over without spilling a drop.
Choose one answer.
Deft means quick and skillful, which fits spilling nothing. Daft means silly, and dense and deaf do not describe a movement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deft”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.