masterful

masterful
I
(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)
adj. masterly, skillful; authoritative. See skill, authority.
II
(Roget's IV) modif.
Syn. commanding, imperious, domineering, magisterial, forceful, dominating, dictatorial, high-handed, self-willed, strong-willed, powerful, authoritative, authoritarian, bossy*; see also autocratic 1 , tyrannical .
Syn.- masterful implies such strength of personality as enables one to impose one's will on others [ a masterful orchestral conductor ] ; domineering implies the overbearing, tyrannical manner of one who openly tries to dominate another [ a domineering spouse ] ; imperious suggests the arbitrary ruling of an emperor, and connotes more haughtiness than domineering [ the imperious old dean of the college ] ; magisterial , while not suggesting an assumption of arbitrary powers, implies an excessive use or display of such inherent powers as a magistrate might have [ he dismissed me with a magisterial air ]
III
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) a.
expert, proficient, skilled, accomplished, experienced, crack, *crackerjack, virtuoso, dexterous, adroit.
ANT.: amateurish, bumbling, inept
IV
(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Tending to dictate: authoritarian, bossy, dictatorial, dogmatic, domineering, imperious, magisterial, overbearing, peremptory. See OVER. 2. Exercising authority: authoritative, commanding, dominant, lordly. See OVER, STRONG. 3. Having or demonstrating a high degree of knowledge or skill: adept, crack, expert, master, masterly, professional, proficient, skilled, skillful. Slang: crackerjack. See ABILITY.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • masterful — masterful, domineering, imperious, peremptory, imperative are comparable when they apply to persons or their acts, utterances, and demands and mean governed by, or manifesting, a strong tendency to impose one s will on another. One is masterful… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • masterful — masterful, masterly Although both words have at some time in their history shared all the meanings involved here, they have settled down in more recent usage in such a way that masterful conveys meanings to do with dominance and power whereas… …   Modern English usage

  • masterful — ► ADJECTIVE 1) powerful and able to control others. 2) performed or performing very skilfully. DERIVATIVES masterfully adverb. USAGE Strictly, there is a distinction between masterful and masterly: both mean ‘very skilful’, but only masterful …   English terms dictionary

  • masterful — [mas′tər fəl] adj. 1. fond of acting the part of a master; domineering; imperious 2. having or showing the ability of a master; expert; skillful; masterly: usage objected to by some masterfully adv. masterfulness n. SYN. MASTERFUL implies such… …   English World dictionary

  • Masterful — Mas ter*ful, a. 1. Inclined to play the master; domineering; imperious; arbitrary. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. Having the skill or power of a master; indicating or expressing power or mastery. [1913 Webster] His masterful, pale face. Mrs. Browning …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • masterful — index competent, deft, dictatorial, expert, indomitable, potent, practiced, proficient, tyrannous …   Law dictionary

  • masterful — (adj.) c.1300, fond of being a master, from MASTER (Cf. master) (n.) + FUL (Cf. ful). Sense evolved through having capabilities to command (c.1400) to characterized by a master s skill (1610s). Related: Masterfully …   Etymology dictionary

  • masterful — [adj] expert, skilled adept, adroit, clever, consummate, crack, crackerjack*, deft, dexterous, excellent, exquisite, fine, finished, first rate, master, masterly, preeminent, proficient, skillful, superior, superlative, supreme, transcendent;… …   New thesaurus

  • masterful — adjective Date: 15th century 1. a. inclined and usually competent to act as master b. suggestive of a domineering nature 2. having or reflecting the power and skill of a master • masterfully adverb • masterfulness noun Synonyms: masterful …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • masterful — adjective 1) a masterful man Syn: commanding, powerful, imposing, magisterial, lordly, authoritative; dominating, domineering, overbearing, overweening, imperious Ant: weak 2) t …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • masterful — masterfully, adv. masterfulness, n. /mas teuhr feuhl, mah steuhr /, adj. 1. dominating; self willed; imperious. 2. having or showing the qualities of a master; authoritative; powerful. 3. showing mastery or skill; masterly: a masterful… …   Universalium

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