accomplished

accomplished — adjective

1. extremely good at doing something, often after years of training, study, or prac

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

extremely good at doing something, often after years of training, study, or practice; used to praise someone whose skill clearly stands out — for example, a pianist who plays difficult pieces with ease, or a chef whose dishes win awards.

Example

Lior is an accomplished violinist who has performed at concert halls in Vienna and Tokyo.

accomplished + noun describing a profession or role

After thirty years on the farm, Grandpa Lin became an accomplished cook of country dishes.

describes mastery built up over a long period

Common collocations
  • an accomplished pianist / violinist / dancer
  • an accomplished writer / novelist / poet
  • an accomplished athlete / sportsman
  • highly accomplished
  • accomplished at / in something
  • an accomplished performance
Synonyms
  • skilled

    neutral and broader; works for everyday and professional contexts

  • talented

    stresses natural ability rather than long training

  • expert

    stronger; suggests top-level authority in a field

  • proficient

    more technical; means competent enough to do the job well

Antonyms
  • amateur

    suggests someone is still learning or doing it for fun

  • incompetent

    much stronger negative — unable to do the task at all

  • unskilled

    neutral opposite, often used about labor or work

Grammar Patterns

accomplished + noun

accomplished at + noun/-ing

accomplished in + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun (attributive) or after a linking verb such as 'be' / 'become'. Subject is usually a person, occasionally a piece of work (e.g. 'an accomplished novel'). The praise feels stronger and more formal than 'good at' or 'skilled', so it suits written biographies, reviews, and introductions more than casual chat.

Common Mistakes

She accomplished a lot of guitar.
She is accomplished on the guitar.
'accomplished' is an adjective, not a verb meaning 'practiced'.
He is very accomplish at chess.
He is very accomplished at chess.
keep the '-ed' ending; the adjective is 'accomplished', not 'accomplish'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words praise someone's ability, but they differ in tone and source. 'Skilled' is the neutral, everyday choice — a skilled mechanic simply does the job well. 'Talented' points to natural gifts a person seems born with, often noticed early: a talented child singer. 'Proficient' is more technical and slightly cooler in feeling; it usually appears in reports or résumés to mean someone meets a clear standard, as in 'proficient in Mandarin'. 'Expert' is the strongest — it claims top-level authority and is often used as a noun. 'Accomplished' sits closest to 'expert' but emphasizes years of training and a polished, public-facing record of achievement. So you might say: 'The young violinist is talented, the orchestra members are skilled, the section leader is proficient, but the soloist is truly accomplished, and the conductor is a recognized expert.'

accomplished ↗skilled ↗talented ↗proficient ↗expert ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • an accomplished young woman
  • one of the most accomplished
  • an accomplished work of fiction

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word comes from the Latin 'complere', meaning 'to fill up' or 'to finish', which gave Old French 'acomplir' — to carry something out completely. English borrowed the verb 'accomplish' in the late 14th century, and the past-participle form 'accomplished' grew into an adjective meaning 'finished and polished'. By the 1500s it had taken on the sense we still use today: someone whose training is so complete that their skill shines through.