adroit
Other forms: adroitest
Someone who is adroit is clever and skillful. An adroit leader will be able to persuade people to go with his ideas. An adroit sculptor can turn a lump of clay into an object of great beauty.
If you've ever studied French you know that droit means "right," both as in "right of free speech" and as in "left and right," and à droit means both "turn right" and "properly." Once English people borrowed à droit, they changed the meaning slightly, from doing something "properly" to "doing something well." You may have heard the expression "surprisingly adroit," as in, "For a guy whose wife does all the cooking, he is surprisingly adroit in the kitchen."
-
quick or skillful or adept in action or thought“an exceptionally adroit pianist”“an adroit technician”“his adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers”“an adroit negotiator”
-
Synonyms:
-
clean, neat
free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed
-
clever, cunning, ingenious
showing inventiveness and skill
-
co-ordinated, coordinated
being dexterous in the use of more than one set of muscle movements
-
deft, dexterous, dextrous
skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
-
handy
skillful with the hands
-
light-fingered, nimble-fingered
having nimble fingers literally or figuratively; especially for stealing or picking pockets
-
quick-witted
mentally nimble and resourceful
-
artful
marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft
-
Antonyms:
-
maladroit
not adroit
-
bumbling, bungling, butterfingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, left-handed
lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands
-
inept, tactless
revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse
-
uncoordinated
lacking the skillful and effective interaction of muscle movements
-
nonmechanical, unmechanical
(of a person) lacking mechanical skills
-
awkward
lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance
- show more antonyms...
-
clean, neat
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing adroit
After escaping a Soviet military camp, U.S. Air Force pilot Joseph "Mack" Makatozi navigates the Siberian wilderness as a native tracker is on his trail.
Following the death of their parents, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to live with Count Olaf, who plots to steal their inheritance.
Charlie Gordon goes through an experimental treatment to increase his intelligence, with unexpected and ultimately tragic results.
Look up adroit for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
