skil ‧ ful BrE AmE British English , skillful American English /ˈskɪlf ə l/ adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ skill , ↑ deskilling ; adjective : SKILFUL/SKILLFUL , ↑ skilled ≠ ↑ unskilled ; verb : ↑ deskill ; adverb : SKILFULLY/SKILLFULLY ]
1 . good at doing something, especially something that needs special ability or training:
a skilful footballer
skilful at (doing) something
After a few years, he became very skilful at drawing.
2 . made or done very well, showing a lot of ability:
the skilful use of sound effects
sensitive and skillful leadership
—skilfully adverb :
She had used make-up skilfully to mask the bruise.
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THESAURUS
▪ skilful British English , skillful American English good at doing something, especially something that needs special ability or training:
a skilful player
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the artist's skillful use of color
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Success in business depends on skilful management.
▪ good at something able to do something well:
Maria is extremely good at her job.
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He was very good at swimming.
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I'm not very good at Maths.
▪ skilled having a lot of training and experience, and able to do a job well:
There is a demand for carpenters and other skilled craftsmen.
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The country needs highly skilled foreign workers.
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Our advisors are skilled at dealing with financial problems.
▪ talented having a natural ability to do something well:
a talented artist
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She's an exceptionally talented student.
▪ gifted having a great natural ability, which few people have:
a gifted writer
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a gifted player
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a special school for gifted chidlren
■ very skilful
▪ accomplished very skilful because you have had a lot of experience of doing something - used especially about musicians, artists, performers etc:
a highly accomplished pianist
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She is one of the most accomplished theatre performers.
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She's a popular dancer, and very accomplished.
▪ expert extremely skilful and having a lot of knowledge about doing something:
He was an expert skier.
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Students learn to cook French food with the help of expert chefs.
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Politicians are expert at deflecting criticism.
▪ virtuoso [only before noun] extremely skilful and impressive - used especially about musicians, performers, or performances:
a virtuoso violinist
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The team gave a virtuoso performance in the final.