dexterous

adjective

dex·​ter·​ous ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs 

variants or less commonly dextrous

1

: mentally adroit and skillful : clever

her dexterous handling of the crisis

2

: done with mental or physical skill, quickness, or grace : done with dexterity : artful

a dexterous maneuver

3

: skillful and competent with the hands

a dexterous surgeon

dexterously adverb

dexterousness noun

Did you know?

If you believe dexterous to be on the right side of etymological history, well, right on. Dexterous comes from the Latin word dexter, meaning "on the right side." Since most people are right-handed, and therefore do things more easily with their right hand, dexter developed the additional sense of "skillful." English speakers crafted dexterous from dexter and have been using the resulting adjective for anyone who is skillful—in either a physical or mental capacity—since at least the early 1600s. (The noun dexterity arrived a bit earlier, influenced both by Latin and the Middle French word dexterité). The adjective ambidextrous, which combines dexter with the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," describes one who is able to use both hands in an equally skillful way. With so many handy words at its disposal, the English language itself is pretty dexterous, amirite?

Synonyms

• clever
• cunning
• deft
• handy

Choose the Right Synonym for dexterous

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 dexterous in a Sentence

They praised her dexterous handling of the crisis.

The movie is a dexterous retelling of a classic love story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since he was fired from Fox News, Carlson has cobbled together a successful, dexterous career tweeting, podcasting, and speechifying. —Hannah Jocelyn, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024

But the company already has a number of humanoids in its robot ranks, has developed a dexterous human-like hand, and become quite adept at showing off its creations in fun promo videos. —Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024

Williams is at his best and most dexterous in moments like these, the full alchemy between him and Moreno reaching sharp heights, with some witty and unifying soundplay from Steve Schoenbeck’s design. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

Yamagata University Rover landers and spacecraft alike could be fitted with highly dexterous arms to grab, hook, or even assemble human habitats on the moon, or make repairs to the International Space Station (at least until SpaceX crashes the ISS into Earth). —New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin dextr-, dexter on the right side, skillful

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

dexterous

adjective

dex·​ter·​ous

variants also dextrous

ˈdek-st(ə-)rəs 

1

: mentally skillful and clever : expert

her dexterous handling of the problem

2

: done with skill

a dexterous maneuver

3

: skillful with the hands

dexterously adverb

dexterousness noun