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adroit

adjective
\ ə-ˈdrȯit How to pronounce adroit (audio) \

Definition of adroit

: having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations an adroit leader adroit maneuvers
Other Words from adroit Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about adroit

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Other Words from adroit

adroitly adverb
adroitness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for adroit

clever, adroit, cunning, ingenious mean having or showing practical wit or skill in contriving. clever stresses physical or mental quickness, deftness, or great aptitude. a person clever with horses adroit often implies a skillful use of expedients to achieve one's purpose in spite of difficulties. an adroit negotiator cunning implies great skill in constructing or creating. a filmmaker cunning in his use of special effects ingenious suggests the power of inventing or discovering a new way of accomplishing something. an ingenious software engineer

dexterous, adroit, deft 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 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 deft emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling. a surgeon's deft manipulation of the scalpel

Examples of adroit in a Sentence

Rumor has always played a role in politics, but rarely have the backstage operatives been so adroit, and so cynical, in their use of vitriol. — Walter Shapiro, Time, 10 July 1989 He was adroit with money and was blessed with the extraordinary Spanish gift of prolific, and even inchoate, invention. — V. S. Pritchett, "Goya … ," 1975, in A Man of Letters,  1985 Family medicine … is constructed around the unquantifiable idea that a doctor who treats your grandmother, your father, your niece, and your daughter will be more adroit in treating you. — John McPhee, Table of Contents, 1984 She is adroit at handling problems. with an adroit flick of the wrist, flipped the omelet into the air and landed it squarely back in the pan
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The artist masterfully layers it all into an adroit, if nightmarish, social critique. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "Fairy tales, video games, and hard labor in this artist’s hallucinatory films," 17 July 2019 Elliott, equally adroit at navigating the courts and making money on distressed debt, is joined by other Windstream bondholders, including BlueMountain Capital and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, according to people familiar with the matter. — Soma Biswas, WSJ, "Hedge Funds Set to Face Off Over Debt-Ridden Windstream," 22 July 2018 But the fire ants in Hu’s lab are also adroit escape artists. — Quanta Magazine, "The Remarkable Self-Organization of Ants," 9 Apr. 2014 Baker installed a plywood backboard (to withstand kicks, scratches, and grip adjustments) then installed grips, which can be unscrewed and rearranged as kids grow—or become too adroit with one layout. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "How to Create the World's Most Insane Playroom," 24 May 2019 Launched in 2006, BuzzFeed was among the leaders of a group of digital upstarts that were adroit with social media and rode a wave of venture capital investment to become magnets for digital audiences. — Benjamin Mullin, WSJ, "BuzzFeed to Cut 15% of Its Workforce," 23 Jan. 2019 Like many small business owners in Venezuela, the David family had become adroit at averting disaster. — Joshua Goodman, Fox News, "Venezuela merchants face arrest for defying Maduro's reforms," 7 Sep. 2018 Ehnes, who also is the festival’s artistic director, introduced the premiere and two other Howard works in the first half in a manner as articulate and adroit as any television commentator. — Melinda Bargreen, The Seattle Times, "Seattle Chamber Music Society debuts an ear-boggling piece by a ‘Dark Knight’ composer," 17 July 2018 Rosenstein came up with what appeared to be an adroit compromise to diffuse the situation. — Murray Waas, Vox, "Exclusive: Trump loyalist Matthew Whitaker was counseling the White House on investigating Clinton," 9 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adroit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of adroit

1652, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for adroit

borrowed from French, going back to Old French, "handsome, elegant, skilled (in combat)," from a-, prefix, perhaps with intensive value (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + droit "straight, direct, true, regular," going back to Latin directus "straight, direct" — more at dress entry 1

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More Definitions for adroit

adroit

adjective
How to pronounce adroit (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of adroit

: very clever or skillful

See the full definition for adroit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

adroit

adjective
\ ə-ˈdrȯit How to pronounce adroit (audio) \

Kids Definition of adroit

: having or showing great skill or cleverness an adroit leader

Other Words from adroit

adroitly adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on adroit

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with adroit

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for adroit

Spanish Central: Translation of adroit

Nglish: Translation of adroit for Spanish Speakers

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