deft | deftest | deftness

There is more than one way to be ‘deft’. Some people are physically deft, displaying graceful, quick, and skillful movements, others might be deft in their words or expert handling of a particular situation. Overall, the word emphasizes lightness, neatness, and sureness of touch or handling.

1. The politician showed a deft and sure touch in her handling of the journalist’s difficult questions.

2. The footballer produced the deftest of footwork to beat his marker and score the winning goal.

3. We managed to overcome the problems facing us thanks to our manager’s actions which displayed a remarkable deftness.