Meaning & use
gifted
Last updated
UK/ˈɡɪftɪd/
US/ˈɡɪftɪd/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Having an unusually strong natural talent or ability.
Grammar: Before a noun or after a verb: a gifted pianist; she is gifted. Often with at or in.
Patterns
- gifted at something
- gifted in something
- a gifted musician
She is a gifted violinist who started performing at eight.
He is gifted at explaining difficult ideas.
The school runs a program for gifted children.
Word forms
| comparative | more gifted |
|---|---|
| superlative | most gifted |
Common combinations
- gifted student
- The gifted student finished the book in a day.
- gifted athlete
- A gifted athlete, he excelled in three sports.
- gifted musician
- She was a gifted musician from an early age.
- gifted and talented
- The school offers classes for gifted and talented pupils.
- gifted writer
- The novel shows a gifted writer at work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- talented
- Talented is the everyday word and can describe someone who has trained, while gifted suggests an inborn ability.
- skilled
- Skilled suggests ability developed through practice, whereas gifted points to natural ability.
- brilliant
- Brilliant is stronger and more informal, while gifted is calmer and more formal.
- accomplished
- Accomplished refers to proven achievement, but gifted refers to potential or natural ability.
Opposites
untalentedordinary
Word family
Commonly confused: gifted or talented?
gifted vs talented
Talented and gifted overlap, but gifted usually points to a natural ability that appears early and is exceptional.
Practice
Which word best fits? The _____ child solved the puzzle faster than the adults.
Choose one answer.
Gifted is the adjective meaning naturally talented. Given and gifting are verb forms, and gift is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gifted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.