knack

noun

ˈnak 

1

: a special ready capacity that is hard to analyze or teach

2

a

: a clever trick or stratagem

b

: a clever way of doing something

3

archaic : an ingenious device

broadly : toy, knickknack

Synonyms

• artifice
• device
• dodge
• fetch
• flimflam
• gambit
• gimmick
• jig
• juggle
• play
• ploy
• ruse
• scheme
• shenanigan
• sleight
• stratagem
• trick
• wile

Choose the Right Synonym for knack

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something.

gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

Examples of knack in a Sentence

She has a knack for telling interesting stories.

The jazz musician has an incredible knack for improvisation.

Recent Examples on the Web

White also has a knack for assembling fantastic casts, and he’s done it again here, with Posey stealing scenes and making memes as proudly old-fashioned matriarch Victoria, who pairs an airy superiority with a taste for prescription pills. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 13 Feb. 2025

Ken had a knack for bringing joy and laughter to any gathering. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Between her standout performance at the Roast of Tom Brady and her knack for turning uncomfortable truths into killer punchlines, she’s definitely earned her spot as one of comedy’s most reliably funny voices. —Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 30 Jan. 2025

After high school, the young man with a knack for mathematics joined the State Department as a code clerk and telegrapher. —Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knak

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

knack

noun

ˈnak 

1

: a clever or skillful way of doing something : trick

2

: a natural ability : talent

has a knack for making friends