Definition of skillfulnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word skillful distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of skillful are adept, expert, proficient, and skilled. While all these words mean "having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession," skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

In what contexts can adept take the place of skillful?

While in some cases nearly identical to skillful, adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

When is it sensible to use expert instead of skillful?

Although the words expert and skillful have much in common, expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

When would proficient be a good substitute for skillful?

The synonyms proficient and skillful are sometimes interchangeable, but proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

When might skilled be a better fit than skillful?

While the synonyms skilled and skillful are close in meaning, skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

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 skillful This country has produced leaders who understood that the office was never about them, that service means something, and that the people watching from home deserve better than a system that rewards the skillful exit over the honest reckoning. Nick Weston, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026 Miami coach Mario Cristobal is known for his skillful recruiting of top prospects. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026 And can that leader evolve and morph over time, hopefully becoming more skillful. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026 Baron was known for his skillful driving on the racetrack and his love of cruising steep canyon roads. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for skillful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skillful
Adjective
  • Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing.
    Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Adjective
  • The plebeians have plenty to be furious about, but their representatives, skilled at turning a crowd into a mob, seem hellbent on shoring up their own influence.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • It is stored in plain text in RAM and can theoretically be accessed by administrators, cloud operators, hypervisors, or highly skilled attackers through malware, insider threats, or side-channel attacks.
    Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • Djokovic put in a masterful performance against a player who had gone in as many people’s favorite after demolishing the champion of two years earlier, Andy Murray, in the semifinals.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • That family history, including people technically unrelated to him, had contributed to this designer’s rather masterful ability to design and tailor.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • The vomeronasal organ is adept at detecting airborne and non-airborne odors, allowing the snake to analyze the chemical composition of its surroundings.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
  • But AfD has long become adept at harnessing discontent with issues well beyond its signature theme of curbing migration, which powered its rise in the mid-2010s.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Adjective
  • For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Cottar also explains what made a CEO swap different from hiring an expert consultant.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • With so many more girls proficient at flag football entering college age, the NAIA in 2020 was first to offer scholarships and implement logistics for the sport’s next phase.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • The percentage of proficient students in grades 3 to 10 language arts climbed from 57% last year to 61% this year, while math proficiency for grades 3 to 8 climbed from 59% to 62%.
    Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Drawn to an artistic path, the NYC native attended the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • This year’s milestone edition furthers that legacy by pairing foundational film voices with the next generation of artistic troublemakers.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • After reducing engineering staff and relying more heavily on AI for portions of its design and development work, Ford found that the technology could not consistently match the expertise of experienced engineers.
    Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples.
    MARE Staff, Boston Herald, 5 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Skillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skillful. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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