skilled

1 of 2

adjective

ˈskild 

1

: having acquired mastery of or skill in something (such as a technique or a trade)

skilled in the art of negotiation

2

: of, relating to, or requiring workers or labor with skill and training in a particular occupation, craft, or trade

skilled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of skill entry 2

Synonyms of skilled

Adjective

• proficient
• adept
• experienced
• expert
• talented
• skillful

Choose the Right Synonym for skilled

proficient, adept, skilled, skillful, expert mean having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession.

proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice.

proficient in translating foreign languages

adept implies special aptitude as well as proficiency.

adept at doing long division

skilled stresses mastery of technique.

a skilled surgeon

skillful implies individual dexterity in execution or performance.

skillful drivers

expert implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill.

expert in the evaluation of wines

Examples of skilled in a Sentence

Adjective

a very skilled and talented writer

He is skilled at cooking.

Carpentry is a skilled trade.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Guadagnino has always been skilled in his choice of music (Sufjan Stevens’ alt-pop in Call Me by Your Name, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pounding EDM in Challengers). — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has added Podkolzin and traded for Howard in an effort to bring skilled youth to the roster. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Salvadorans bring decades of skilled experience to the construction industry, which would be difficult to quickly replace. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

According to Oracle’s release, Project Lighthouse is expected to generate more than $11 billion for the local economy, create more than 4,000 skilled construction jobs over three years, and support 1,000 ongoing operations positions. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for skilled

• backfilled
• distilled
• fulfilled
• infilled
• instilled
• rebuild
• refilled
• unfilled
• unskilled
• untilled
• billed
• build

Kids Definition

skilled

adjective

ˈskild 

1

: having skill : expert

skilled workers

2

: requiring skill and training

a skilled trade