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Glite Dictionary
nimble-fingered

nimble-fingered

7.7
Able to move the fingers quickly and skillfully for small exact tasks
  • adjective
  • /ˈnɪmbəl ˈfɪŋɡərd/
translation icon : ágil de dedos
  • It was Pipit, one of her seamstresses, a smart, nimble-fingered girl from a peasant family.

Examples

  • Although parents and grandparents possessed greater world knowledge in many areas, there were times when they recognized their dependence on the nimble-fingered skill and adroitness of the young.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The nimble-fingered pickpocket skillfully relieved the tourists of their wallets before they even noticed.

  • She is nimble-fingered and can quickly repair delicate jewelry with precision.

  • The nimble-fingered magician dazzled the audience with his quick card tricks.

Synonyms

dexterous
vsnimble-fingered
3 7.2

Good at using hands to do careful tasks

focuses on quick stealthy hand skill often used for theft
light-fingered
vsnimble-fingered
1 8.2

Good at stealing small things quickly from people's pockets or bags

is about quick skillful hand actions used more broadly not only theft

Antonyms

clumsy
73 1.2

Moving in an awkward, unsteady way that causes accidents

inept
49 5.0

Not good at something and often clumsy

How Dexterous

nimble-fingered
7.7
deft
15 5.8
skilled
172 3.5
clumsy
73 1.2

Surface Forms

nimble-fingered positive
nimble-fingered comparative
nimble-fingered superlative

Morphology

nimble-fingered = nimble + fingered (transparent) = nimble + finger + ed

Clearly formed from 'nimble' + 'fingered' meaning 'having nimble fingers' with a standard adjectival '-ed' on 'finger'.

Etymology

Nimble-fingered joins nimble ('quick and light') and fingered, from finger ('a part of the hand'), so it paints a picture of someone whose fingers move fast and with skill. That's why we use it for great pianists or for pickpockets who steal with quick fingers.