dexterous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɛkstrəs/ UK /ˈdɛkstrəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
skillful with the hands or mentally adroit

The surgeon's dexterous fingers worked with astonishing precision.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · skillful with the hands or... adroit deft nimble skillful agile handy proficient

Opposites

clumsy awkward inept maladroit

Word family

Forms dexterously

Derived forms dexterouslydexterousness

Related forms dexteritydextrousambidextrous dexter

Simplified etymology

Dexterous, first recorded in the early 17th century, ultimately comes from Latin dexter, “on the right.” It first meant “clever” or “mentally agile,” then developed the physical sense “skilful with the hands,” reflecting the traditional association of right-handedness with manual skill. Dexterity has the same Latin root.

Etymology

From Latin dexter ('right-handed, skillful') + English -ous, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- ('right side').

dexter Latin *deḱs- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# dexterous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛkstrəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛkstrəs/

## Meanings
1. skillful with the hands or mentally adroit

## Examples
- The surgeon's dexterous fingers worked with astonishing precision.

## Synonyms
- adroit
- deft
- nimble
- skillful
- agile
- handy
- proficient

## Antonyms
- clumsy
- awkward
- inept
- maladroit

## Derived Forms
- dexterously
- dexterousness

## Related Forms
- dexterity
- dextrous
- ambidextrous
- dexter

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dexter
- Root: *deḱs-

## Etymology
From Latin dexter ('right-handed, skillful') + English -ous, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- ('right side').

## AI Etymology
Dexterous is from Latin dexter ('right-handed, skillful') + English -ous, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- ('right side'). The ancestry passes through Latin dexter and Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-. In present use as an adjective, it means "skillful with the hands or mentally adroit", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include dexterity, dextrous, ambidextrous, and dexter; derived forms include dexterously and dexterousness. Its contrast set includes clumsy, awkward, inept, and maladroit, which clarifies the semantic boundary of the modern word.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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