Meaning & use
deftly
In a skillful, quick, and effortless way, especially with the hands.
See it in a sentence
The surgeon deftly removed the splinter without causing the child any pain.
She deftly changed the subject before the argument could escalate further.
A note on using this word
Deftly emphasizes graceful precision, often with physical tasks, but also works well for clever handling of conversation or a delicate situation.
Words with a similar meaning
skillfullyadroitlynimbly
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
clumsilyawkwardly
Make it your own
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