knack
/nak
/noun [usually in singular]
1An acquired or natural skill at doing something: he had a knack for communicating...
- He found work as a freelance consultant for engineering companies and soon discovered he had a knack for it.
- During this campaign he displayed one of his greatest skills, the knack of surrounding himself with the right people.
- Postle has a knack for combining slapstick comedy and pathos, which is very effective in this instance.
Synonyms
gift, talent, flair, genius, instinct, faculty, ability, capability, capacity, aptitude, aptness, bent, forte, facility, dexterity, adroitness, readiness, quickness, ingenuity, proficiency, expertness, competence;
technique, method, trick, skill, art, secret, approach, way, skilfulness, mastery, expertise, handiness, deftness
informal know-how, the hang of something
1.1A tendency to do something: John had the enviable knack of falling asleep anywhere...
- You've got a real knack for getting in trouble, don't you?
- Speaking of sports ministers, it seems they all have a knack for putting their foot in it.
- My dad is the type of guy who'll only sing at Christmas, but he has a knack for getting out his harmonica at unexpected moments.
Synonyms
tendency to, propensity for, habit of, way of, proneness to, aptness to, bent for, liability to, leaning towards, predisposition to, disposition to, inclination to, penchant for, readiness to
Origin
Late Middle English (originally denoting a clever or deceitful trick): probably related to obsolete knack 'sharp blow or sound', of imitative origin (compare with Dutch knak 'crack, snap').