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Definitions

skillful

[skil-fuhl] / ˈskɪl fəl /
ADJECTIVE
able, talented
Synonyms
STRONGEST
accomplished adept adroit competent experienced practical proficient seasoned skilled smart trained
WEAK
a hand at apt brainy clever crack crackerjack dexterous expert good handy hotdog learned on the ball practiced prepared primed pro professional quick ready really into savvy sharp smooth there tuned-in versant versed vet veteran well-versed whiz wicked wised up
Antonyms
STRONGEST
awkward clumsy incapable incompetent inefficient inept inexperienced stupid unable unseasoned unskilled untrained
WEAK
green ignorant incapacitated unskillful untalented

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

How did a recherché, quasi-French dish leave the skillful hands of Thomas Jefferson’s enslaved cooks and wind up being popular grub for millions of today’s cooks and consumers, white and—emphatically—black?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

“He emphasized materials in a very skillful way. His lighting creates spatial depth. You get a different idea of what the architecture consists of.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

But McKenzie, the son of Southland dairy farmers, has been resilient, selfless and, as ever, highly skillful.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

Ambani, a quiet but skillful networker, seemed on the path to forging a good relationship with Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 29, 2025

The skillful hands of the unseen gunsmith were his hands.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes