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deft

[ deft ]

/ dɛft /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR deft ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, deft·er, deft·est.

dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever: deft hands; a deft mechanic.

Origin of deft

1175–1225; Middle English; variant of daft

synonym study for deft

See dexterous.

OTHER WORDS FROM deft

deft·ly, adverb deft·ness, noun un·deft, adjective

Words nearby deft

defriend, defrock, defrost, defroster, defs., deft, defunct, defunctive, defund, defuse, defusion

Example sentences from the Web for deftly

Nothing does it quite like deftly decapitating a bottle of bubbly with a gleaming blade.

How to Saber a Champagne Bottle |James Joiner, The Daily Beast Video |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Soviet forces had deftly enveloped the German 4th and 9th Armies, annihilating some 28 divisions.

Hitler’s Hail Mary |James A. Warren |December 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In her new memoir, Lena Dunham deftly articulates many of the concerns facing women her age.

Time to Grow Up, Lena Dunham |Emily Shire |October 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Yes, Burns and Ward have produced an Intimate History that deftly weaves together the personal and the political.

Ken Burns’s ‘Roosevelts’ Fine But Flawed |Harvey J. Kaye |September 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Colbert has deftly hosted benefits and other shows and given hilarious and poignant commencement speeches.

Yes, Stephen Colbert Will Be Great as Host of CBS’s ‘Late Night’ |Pete Dominick |April 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Bernice deftly amputated the other braid, paused for an instant, and then flitted swiftly and silently back to her own room.

Flappers and Philosophers |F. Scott Fitzgerald
Marietta lifted the cover of the box and unrolled them deftly.

Country Neighbors |Alice Brown
Must have been prepared for it, as they had a weapon, used it deftly, and carried it off.

In the Onyx Lobby |Carolyn Wells
Whenever he was disposed to become uncomfortably inquisitive he was deftly steered clear of the troubled waters.

Sixteen Months in Four German Prisons |Henry Charles Mahoney
Then he must smoke two or three cigarettes, which he deftly rolls with his dirty yellow fingers.

Belford's Magazine, Vol 2, December 1888 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for deftly

deft

/ (dɛft) /

adjective

quick and neat in movement; nimble; dexterous

Derived forms of deft

deftly, adverb deftness, noun

Word Origin for deft

C13 (in the sense: gentle): see daft