Meanings
comparative defter · superlative deftest
- Quick and neat in action; skillful.
He assembled it in one fluid, deft motion.
1 more example
Alvarez then got on the scoresheet after the hosts carved open the Huddersfield defence with some intricate passing before the Argentina forward's deft finish rolled into the net.
2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*daftī“fitting, suitable”
- Old Englishdæfte“mild, gentle, meek”
- Middle Englishdefte
- Englishdeft
From Middle English defte, daft (“gentle”), from Old English dæfte (“mild, gentle, meek”), from Proto-West Germanic *daftī (“fitting, suitable”), derived from *dabaną (“to be suitable”). Near cognates include Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍉𐍆𐍃 (gadōfs, “suitable”), West Frisian deftich (“distinguished”), Dutch deftig (“distinguished”), German deftig (“coarse”). Further cognates include Russian добро (dobro, “wealth, good”) and Latin faber (“craftsman; skillful”). Doublet of daft.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сръчен, изкусен
- сръчен (srăčen)skillful
- изкусен (izkusen)skillful
- ло́вък (lóvăk)skillful
Czech hbitý, šikovný
- hbitýskillful
- šikovnýskillful
- obratnýskillful
Dutch handig
- handigskillful
Esperanto lerta
- lertaskillful
Finnish taitava, näppärä
- taitavaskillful
- näppäräskillful
French adroit, compétent
- adroitskillful
- compétentskillful
- habileskillful
German geschickt
- geschicktskillful
Italian abile, solerte
- abileskillful
- solerteskillful
Latin dexter
- dexterskillful
Latvian veikls
- veiklsskillful
Māori mārehe, mākohakoha
- māreheskillful
- mākohakohaskillful
- haratauskillful
- rakaskillful
- ringareheskillful
- reheskillful
Persian چابک
- چابک (čâbok)skillful
Polish zręczny
- zręcznyskillful
Portuguese hábil, habilidoso
- hábilskillful
- habilidososkillful
Russian ло́вкий, искусный
- ло́вкий (lóvkij)skillful
- искусный (iskusnyj)skillful
- мастерский (masterskij)skillful
Slovak zručný
- zručnýskillful
Spanish hábil, diestro
- hábilskillful
- diestroskillful
Swedish flink, händig
- flinkskillful
- händigskillful
- skickligskillful
- kvickskillful
Ukrainian вправний, спритний
- вправний (vpravnyj)skillful
- спритний (sprytnyj)skillful
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with deft
All rhymes →Cite this entry
deft. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deft
“deft.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deft. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deft,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deft.
Source: deft on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.