knack

noun

ˈnak How to pronounce knack (audio)
Synonyms of knacknext
1
: a special ready capacity that is hard to analyze or teach
2
a
: a clever trick or stratagem
b
: a clever way of doing something
3
archaic : an ingenious device
broadly : toy, knickknack

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for knack

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something.

gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

Examples of knack in a Sentence

She has a knack for telling interesting stories. The jazz musician has an incredible knack for improvisation.
Recent Examples on the Web As Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian note, Peltz’s knack for pumping up a share price during a proxy battle has not historically increased a stock’s long-term value. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024 The couplets exemplify his greatest strengths in tandem: his slick diction and knack for stacking multi-syllabic rhymes together. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024 Avery had a knack for reading places and people like others read books. —Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024 Pearsall has reliable hands — just two drops on 88 targets last season — and has a knack for making tough catches. Projection: Day 2. Michigan’s Roman Wilson Height: 5-11. —Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024 The more bubbly King has a knack for chiming in with feisty quips and impassioned observations. —Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024 Palm Royale, which Wiig also executive produces, makes use of some of the SNL alumna’s particular gifts, like her knack for physical comedy and her ability to find the humanity in a character doing something unsympathetic, in this case lying and scheming to be accepted by a group of wealthy women. —Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 In facile Hollywood terms, Oppenheimer resembles a nerdy A Beautiful Mind but without Ron Howard’s knack for entertainment. —Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 Besides, humans have a knack for sanitizing our most painful memories. —George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knak

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of knack was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near knack

kn

knack

knackaway

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Knack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knack. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

knack

noun
ˈnak How to pronounce knack (audio)
1
: a clever or skillful way of doing something : trick
2
: a natural ability : talent
has a knack for making friends

More from Merriam-Webster on knack

Nglish: Translation of knack for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of knack for Arabic Speakers

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