DEFTNESS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

deftness

noun

Definition of deftness

as in agility

ease and grace in physical activity the effortless deftness with which he plays the piano

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in skill

subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something with deftness and aplomb she managed to keep the bickering relatives apart for the duration of the reception

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deftness But his approach is from a position of deftness and strength, not desperation. — Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 Astor’s body was dredged from the drink, shipped from Nova Scotia to New York, and attended to by Crandall with such deftness that his funeral featured a public viewing. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 On Joseph’s team, Aaron says the Gullah Geechee people and their deftness with indigo dye are guiding the designers’ shades of blue. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Since the outset of the competition, the team had been swooned over for the deftness of its skills and tipped for golden glory. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 Olmo’s deftness of touch to set up Porro for Spain’s second goal epitomised Spain’s cultured performance on the ball, but the fact that Spain’s performance was not always aesthetically pleasing will arguably please De la Fuente more. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 July 2026 This sky-high figure indicates the display's deftness at producing deep blacks alongside bright whites, resulting in improved image quality in both light and dark scenes. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 7 Mar. 2026 Ridge’s equal deftness at the high end and the low is one of many apparent incongruities that the winery has managed to balance comfortably. — Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026 The deftness required to nail the relentless 16th-note melodies grows more transparent when unadorned. — Aly Eleanor, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deftness

Noun

These give the driver real-time control over accelerator pedal sensitivity, wheel slip thresholds (with nine traction settings) and cornering agility.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
Warhound wants to improve canine health and longevity alongside traits such as speed, agility, and scent detection.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of agility

Noun

During the interview with TBPN, Karp argued that AI is changing which skills and perspectives are valuable in the workplace.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Netflix’s skills and training programs reached over 6,500 people in Korea between 2021 and 2025.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of skill

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deftly

deftness

defunct

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Style

“Deftness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deftness. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deftness

noun

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