Deftness
What it means
The quality of acting with quick, controlled skill.
Reach for it when naming mastery visible in precise movement or tactful handling
The interpreter's deftness preserved both the humor and the respect in the remark.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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everyday
Fits when learned ability is all that needs naming
Careful Skill can be slow or laborious, while deftness suggests efficient control.
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warm
Fits when subtlety and polish make the result successful
Careful Finesse can hide a lack of speed and may suggest style over accuracy.
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warm
Fits when sensitivity in dealing with people is the important ability
Careful Tact concerns relationships only and cannot name manual mastery.
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professional
Fits when rapid physical or mental adaptation is the strength
Careful Agility does not guarantee the precise touch involved in deftness.
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professional
Fits when fine coordination of the hands or mind is central
Careful Dexterity sounds technical and fits social handling less naturally.
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formal
Fits when exactness is the quality under assessment
Careful A machine can provide precision without the human ease implied by deftness.
Opposites 3
- clumsiness
- awkwardness
- ineptitude
Common phrases 3
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deftness of touch
Her deftness of touch kept the charcoal lines lively.
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technical deftness
The review praised the quartet's technical deftness.
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show deftness
He showed deftness in guiding the tense discussion toward facts.
Word family 2
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated