dexterous

adjective

dex·ter·ous ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs How to pronounce dexterous (audio)

variants or less commonly dextrous

: mentally adroit and skillful : clever

her dexterous handling of the crisis

: done with mental or physical skill, quickness, or grace : done with dexterity : artful

a dexterous maneuver

: skillful and competent with the hands

a dexterous surgeon

dexterously adverb

dexterousness noun

Did you know?

Dexterous comes from the Latin word dexter, meaning "on the right side." Since most people are right-handed, and therefore do things more easily with their right hand, dexter developed the sense of "skillful." English speakers crafted dexterous from dexter and have been using the resulting adjective for anyone who is skillful—in either a physical or mental capacity—since at least the early 1600s. The adjective ambidextrous, which combines dexter with the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," describes one who is able to use both hands in an equally skillful way.

Example Sentences

They praised her dexterous handling of the crisis. The movie is a dexterous retelling of a classic love story.

Recent Examples on the Web The most intoxicating of them is the festive award reception, at which old friends, family and professional colleagues gather for mescal and dancing as Khondji’s camera snakes its dexterous way through the crowd.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 Creed video game, a bottle that gamers should have no problem opening given their dexterous fingers.

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 Actors have to go well beyond shouting in pain in the voice booth by using dexterous physicality as their face is planted in front of a microphone, and all the while try to avoid short-term or long-term damage by shredding their vocal cords.

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2022 LaVoy, who directs the production with outgoing Theater J artistic director Adam Immerwahr, inhabits an array of shifting personas through some dexterous dialect work and Pamela Rodríguez-Montero’s savvy costume tweaks.

Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 To this dexterous weaving of catastrophes, don't forget that the towering firm of Hamlin Hamlin & McGill is pretty well liquidated now, with both remaining name partners dead partially because of Jimmy's actions.

Darren Franich, EW.com, 12 July 2022 Includes dexterous and inviting acidity, suave tannins and a midpalate of juicy red and black fruit.

Tom Mullen, Forbes, 22 May 2022 Hall’s characters always have things to say and these episodes find the writer with lots to say and lots to address — the series continues to say those things with a dexterous, stinging, thickly accented voice all its own.

Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2022 Bates could not have chosen a better partner for this SF Symphony Co-Commission and West Coast Premiere than the astoundingly dexterous pianist Daniil Trifonov.

San Francisco Chronicle, 11 May 2022 See More

dexterous

adjective

variants also dextrous

as in skillful

skillful with the hands the dexterous watchmaker was able to repair the antique watch's delicate gears and parts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

skillful
skilled
handy
clever
deft
cunning
agile
adept
graceful
masterful
nimble
expert
capable
limber
proficient
spry
competent
flexible
lissome
lithe
lissom
able
lithesome
masterly
qualified
coordinated
sure-handed
habile
loose-jointed
double-jointed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clumsy
unhandy
handless
ungainly
wooden
ungraceful
awkward
klutzy
stiff
gawky
uneasy
uncomfortable
graceless
uncoordinated
ham-fisted
fumbling
stilted
gauche
incompetent
ham-handed
butterfingered
inept
incapable
inexpert
heavy-handed
bungling
maladroit
rough-hewn

as in masterful

accomplished with trained ability dexterous handling of a potentially embarrassing situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

skillful
masterful
adroit
expert
deft
delicate
virtuoso
smooth
creative
artful
clever
masterly
practiced
bravura
artistic
workmanlike
adept
able
capable
ingenious
cunning
practised
competent
adequate
facile
neat
fancy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clumsy
amateur
artless
crude
amateurish
awkward
unprofessional
rude
unskillful
incompetent
ineffective
ineffectual
klutzy
inept

Synonym Chooser

The words adroit and deft are common synonyms of dexterous. While all three words mean "ready and skilled in physical movement," dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation.

unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss

The words adroit and dexterous can be used in similar contexts, but adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness.

the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause

While in some cases nearly identical to dexterous, deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

单词	dexterous
释义	dexterous adjective dex·ter·ous ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs variants or less commonly dextrous 1 : mentally adroit and skillful : clever her dexterous handling of the crisis 2 : done with mental or physical skill, quickness, or grace : done with dexterity : artful a dexterous maneuver 3 : skillful and competent with the hands a dexterous surgeon dexterously adverb dexterousness noun Did you know? Dexterous comes from the Latin word dexter, meaning "on the right side." Since most people are right-handed, and therefore do things more easily with their right hand, dexter developed the sense of "skillful." English speakers crafted dexterous from dexter and have been using the resulting adjective for anyone who is skillful—in either a physical or mental capacity—since at least the early 1600s. The adjective ambidextrous, which combines dexter with the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," describes one who is able to use both hands in an equally skillful way. Synonyms clever cunning deft handy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences They praised her dexterous handling of the crisis. The movie is a dexterous retelling of a classic love story. Recent Examples on the Web The most intoxicating of them is the festive award reception, at which old friends, family and professional colleagues gather for mescal and dancing as Khondji’s camera snakes its dexterous way through the crowd. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 Creed video game, a bottle that gamers should have no problem opening given their dexterous fingers. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 Actors have to go well beyond shouting in pain in the voice booth by using dexterous physicality as their face is planted in front of a microphone, and all the while try to avoid short-term or long-term damage by shredding their vocal cords. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2022 LaVoy, who directs the production with outgoing Theater J artistic director Adam Immerwahr, inhabits an array of shifting personas through some dexterous dialect work and Pamela Rodríguez-Montero’s savvy costume tweaks. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 To this dexterous weaving of catastrophes, don't forget that the towering firm of Hamlin Hamlin & McGill is pretty well liquidated now, with both remaining name partners dead partially because of Jimmy's actions. Darren Franich, EW.com, 12 July 2022 Includes dexterous and inviting acidity, suave tannins and a midpalate of juicy red and black fruit. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 22 May 2022 Hall’s characters always have things to say and these episodes find the writer with lots to say and lots to address — the series continues to say those things with a dexterous, stinging, thickly accented voice all its own. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 June 2022 Bates could not have chosen a better partner for this SF Symphony Co-Commission and West Coast Premiere than the astoundingly dexterous pianist Daniil Trifonov. San Francisco Chronicle, 11 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin dextr-, dexter on the right side, skillful First Known Use 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition dexterous adjective dex·ter·ous ˈdek-stə-rəs -strəs 1 : skillful with the hands a dexterous potter 2 : clever sense 2 a dexterous chess player 3 : done with skill The skier made a dexterous jump. Medical Definition dexterous adjective dex·ter·ous variants also dextrous ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs 1 : skillful and competent with the hands 2 : mentally adroit and skillful dexterous adjective variants also dextrous 1 as in skillful skillful with the hands the dexterous watchmaker was able to repair the antique watch's delicate gears and parts Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance skillful skilled handy clever deft cunning agile adept graceful masterful nimble expert capable limber proficient spry competent flexible lissome lithe lissom able lithesome masterly qualified coordinated sure-handed habile loose-jointed double-jointed Antonyms & Near Antonyms clumsy unhandy handless ungainly wooden ungraceful awkward klutzy stiff gawky uneasy uncomfortable graceless uncoordinated ham-fisted fumbling stilted gauche incompetent ham-handed butterfingered inept incapable inexpert heavy-handed bungling maladroit rough-hewn See More 2 as in masterful accomplished with trained ability dexterous handling of a potentially embarrassing situation Synonyms & Similar Words skillful masterful adroit expert deft delicate virtuoso smooth creative artful clever masterly practiced bravura artistic workmanlike adept able capable ingenious cunning practised competent adequate facile neat fancy Antonyms & Near Antonyms clumsy amateur artless crude amateurish awkward unprofessional rude unskillful incompetent ineffective ineffectual klutzy inept See More Synonym Chooser The words adroit and deft are common synonyms of dexterous. While all three words mean "ready and skilled in physical movement," dexterous implies expertness with consequent facility and quickness in manipulation. unrolled the sleeping bag with a dexterous toss The words adroit and dexterous can be used in similar contexts, but adroit implies dexterity but usually also stresses resourcefulness or artfulness or inventiveness. the magician's adroit response to the failure of her prop won applause While in some cases nearly identical to dexterous, deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling. a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel
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dexterous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser