skillful

1 of 2

adjective

skill·​ful ˈskil-fəl How to pronounce skillful (audio)
Synonyms of skillful
1
: possessed of or displaying skill : expert
a skillful chef
2
: accomplished with skill
a skillful treatment
skillfully
ˈskil-fə-lē How to pronounce skillful (audio)
adverb
skillfulness noun

skillfulness

2 of 2

noun

skill·​ful·​ness
-lnə̇s
plural -es
: the quality or state of being skillful

Synonyms of skillful

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for skillful

proficient, adept, skilled, skillful, expert mean having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession.

proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

Examples of skillful in a Sentence

Adjective He is skillful at diplomacy. an artist skillful in the use of color the skillful manner in which the doctor and nurses treated the patient These issues require skillful handling.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Making robots skillful The second stage introduces a latent diffusion model, which gives BeyondMimic its ability to generate and combine movements. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026 Fortunately, her protégées—her grandnieces and other female students in the village—are skillful artists in their own right. — Marisol Delarosa, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026 Rogers is a skillful campaigner who might continue to capitalize on this strategy. — Michael Traugott, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026 What is not explicit on screen or in the financial results is the intense amount of skillful work, preparation, promotion, production, marketing, and ad sales that goes on behind the scenes. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for skillful

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of skillful was in the 14th century

Rhymes for skillful

See All Rhymes for skillful

Browse Nearby Words

skill facet
skillful
skillfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Skillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skillful. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

skillful

adjective
skill·​ful ˈskil-fəl How to pronounce skillful (audio)
1
: having or showing skill
2
: accomplished with skill
a skillful defense
skillfully
-fə-lē How to pronounce skillful (audio)
adverb
skillfulness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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