Synonym Chooser

How does the noun tyro differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of tyro are amateur, dabbler, and dilettante. While all these words mean "a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status," tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

When could amateur be used to replace tyro?

While the synonyms amateur and tyro are close in meaning, amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.

a painting obviously done by an amateur
remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

In what contexts can dabbler take the place of tyro?

The synonyms dabbler and tyro are sometimes interchangeable, but dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

When can dilettante be used instead of tyro?

The meanings of dilettante and tyro largely overlap; however, dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.

had no patience for dilettantes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tyro If Fishman’s math holds up, ESPN could be looking at a 20% boost in overall revenue in just seven years’ time—a feat that likely would be wholly improbable if the sports unit were to maintain the status quo or promote the streaming tyro at the expense of the foundational TV network. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024 Rabe also steers the movie’s helm, alongside her life partner and fellow actor Hamish Linklater, and the tyro directors manage to thread a tricky needle with their first feature, navigating the chasm and the overlap between agitated and quiet, between cartoon brightness and angst. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2023 This intelligent, sensitive treatment of the rarely seen, everyday lives of young Palestinian citizens of Israel marks tyro feature writer-director Firas Khoury as a talent to watch, as well as a solid acquisition for Film Movement, the North American distributor. Alissa Simon, Variety, 22 Nov. 2022 When a tyro Steve Jobs or Bill Gates moved a lever back and forth, different configurations of those cylinders caused the Digi-Comp to compute Boolean logic operations. Jim Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2014 Ayyub played another student leader, a tyro named Shiva Shekhar—not quite the main role, but a key one nevertheless, and a fillip to his career. Samanth Subramanian, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022 Outfitted in progressively more luscious frocks by Susan Hilferty, Feldstein makes a journey from nervy tyro to nervier pro. Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2022 The contenders in the original screenplay field are dominated by repeat WGA and Academy Award nominees with a few breakthrough tyro scribes in the mix. Danielle Turchiano, Variety, 30 Dec. 2021 The songs on the young rock tyro's debut album Teenage Heartbreak (out Friday) channel the irresistible riffs, explosive choruses and mix of lust, heartache, rebellion and angst that defined pop-punk's golden age. John Norris, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyro
Noun
  • Just kind of a handful or random observations with nothing that even the most novice player doesn't already know.
    Gene McCaffrey, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The fights, without a doubt, grabbed the attention of novice fans everywhere, but not everyone was a fan of it.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The gently rolling slopes of Elk Camp Meadows are perfect for beginners, with magic carpets for the little ones still figuring out their ski legs.
    Caroline Tell, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Some of the easiest orchids for beginners are phalenopsis, paphiopedilum, epidendron, oncidium and cattleya.
    Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Santiago, an apprentice at a barber school, is due back in court on March 10.
    Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Theodoros, the antique shop owner, is desperately seeking an apprentice to help authenticate items... Gift of Odyssey — Log in every day during the event to obtain check-in rewards.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • UConn’s Ashlynn Shade was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2024 after winning the weekly honor six times, and Strong’s rookie season has been even more dominant.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025
  • He was traded two years later as a minor leaguer for Jonathan Papelbon, made 24 starts as a rookie in 2017 (6.07 ERA) and had a 5.50 ERA in four years with the Phillies when he was traded in August 2020 to Boston for Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Naturally, that’s the unranked newcomer, Akio (Scott Keiji Takeda): an 18-year-old from a troubled background who, though small by sumo standards, has dreamed of becoming a wrestler since childhood.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Brunson has since earned the nod twice, this time as a starter in the 2024-25 season alongside newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Listen to this article BLOOMINGTON — When Nico Ronchetti arrived at Joliet Catholic as a freshman in 2021, the school had never won a state trophy in wrestling.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The redshirt freshman has been a consistent bright spot since entering the starting lineup in December, and he’s really rounded into form over the last month.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tyro.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyro. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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