Adept: meaning, example and synonyms

Adeptadj. Very skilled or proficient at something.

Flashcard for Adept (adjective): very skilled or proficient at something. Example: Adept at reading faded handwriting, the archivist could decipher letters that other researchers had dismissed as illegible. Synonyms: skilled, expert, proficient, accomplished. Antonyms: inept, clumsy, unskilled, incompetent. Memory tip: Adept vs. inept: one letter apart, opposite skill levels. Illustration: a juggler smoothly juggling five colorful balls at once in a park, fully clothed in a striped shirt.

Example

Adept at reading faded handwriting, the archivist could decipher letters that other researchers had dismissed as illegible.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
skilled, expert, proficient, accomplished
Antonyms
inept, clumsy, unskilled, incompetent
Memory tip
Adept vs. inept: one letter apart, opposite skill levels.

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Check yourself: Adept in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

Long before she studied engineering, she was ______ at taking apart broken radios and putting them back together in working order.

Question 2

The diplomat proved ______ at finding common ground, calming disputes that had stalled negotiations for months.

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