Standard Lemma guide

deftly

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈdɛftli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 F T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a deft manner; quickly and neatly in action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in a deft manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Lois deftly removed her scarf

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

with dexterity; in a dexterous manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • dextrously he untied the knots

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dexterously, dextrously

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English deft Middle English -ly English -ly English deftly From deft + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: hàbilment — in a deft manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 灵巧地 — in a deft manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熟练地 — in a deft manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 敏捷地 — in a deft manner
  • Czech: obratně — in a deft manner
  • French: habilement — in a deft manner
  • Galician: habilmente — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: გაწაფულად (gac̣apulad) — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: მოხერხებულად (moxerxebulad) — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: ოსტატურად (osṭaṭurad) — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: მარდად (mardad) — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: მკვირცხლად (mḳvircxlad) — in a deft manner
  • Georgian: მარჯვედ (marǯved) — in a deft manner
  • German: sicher und geschickt — in a deft manner
  • German: gewandt — in a deft manner
  • German: flink — in a deft manner
  • Italian: abilmente — in a deft manner
  • Occitan: abilamen — in a deft manner
  • Polish: zręcznie — in a deft manner
  • Polish: zwinnie — in a deft manner
  • Polish: zgrabnie — in a deft manner
  • Portuguese: habilmente — in a deft manner
  • Russian: искусно (iskusno) — in a deft manner
  • Russian: ловко (lovko) — in a deft manner
  • Russian: проворно (provorno) — in a deft manner
  • Russian: расторопно (rastoropno) — in a deft manner
  • Russian: споро (sporo) — in a deft manner
  • Spanish: hábilmente — in a deft manner
  • Ukrainian: вправно (vpravno) — in a deft manner
  • Ukrainian: спритно (sprytno) — in a deft manner