gifted

gifted — adjective

1. having an exceptional natural ability that makes you very good at a particular s

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having an exceptional natural ability that makes you very good at a particular skill or activity — for example, a gifted musician who can play pieces by ear, or a student who is gifted in mathematics.

Example

Tanvi is a gifted pianist who began playing classical pieces at age five.

gifted + profession/role (pianist)

Christopher is gifted in mathematics and can solve complex equations without a calculator.

gifted in + [subject area]

Common collocations
  • gifted musician
  • gifted artist
  • gifted athlete
  • gifted storyteller
  • gifted in mathematics
  • gifted at sports
Synonyms
  • talented

    most direct synonym; slightly broader and more commonly used in everyday speech

  • skilled

    emphasises ability developed through practice rather than natural talent

  • accomplished

    implies a high level of achievement and recognition in a field

  • brilliant

    suggests exceptional mental sharpness or creative originality

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

gifted + noun

gifted in/at + [subject/activity]

be gifted

Usage Note

Commonly followed by in (gifted in science) or at (gifted at sports) to specify the domain. The noun form gift also exists — a gift for music — but gifted is the adjective.

Common Mistakes

She is a gift pianist.
She is a gifted pianist.
Gift is a noun; gifted is the adjective form needed before a noun.
He is very gift at drawing.
He is very gifted at drawing.
Use gifted (adjective), not gift (noun), to describe ability.

2. having a naturally high level of general intelligence, often identified through

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a naturally high level of general intelligence, often identified through testing and used especially in educational contexts — for example, a gifted child who qualifies for a special school program.

Example

The school district runs a gifted program for children with exceptionally high IQs.

gifted program — educational context collocation

Hui was tested for the gifted class and scored in the top percentile nationwide.

Common collocations
  • gifted child
  • gifted students
  • gifted program
  • gifted class
  • gifted education
  • gifted learners
  • gifted and talented
Synonyms
  • bright

    more informal and commonly used; a bright child

  • intelligent

    broader in meaning; covers all kinds of mental ability

  • clever

    suggests quick thinking and problem-solving ability

Antonyms
  • slow

    informal; learning or understanding at a below-average pace

  • low-achieving

    educational context; not performing at expected levels

Grammar Patterns

gifted + [type of person]

the gifted

Usage Note

More common of children in educational settings (a gifted child, a gifted program) than of adults. For adults with general high intelligence, bright or highly intelligent are more natural in everyday speech. Distinguish from sense 1 (TALENTED): sense 2 refers to overall intellectual ability, not skill in a specific area.

Common Mistakes

The school has a talent program for gifted children.
The school has a gifted program for gifted children.
Gifted program is the standard term, not talent program.
She was gift as a child.
She was gifted as a child.
Use gifted (adjective), not gift (noun), after be.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Talented and gifted both describe natural ability, but gifted often suggests a rarer or more extraordinary level of talent. Skilled focuses on ability developed through practice and training rather than innate talent. Accomplished implies a high level of achievement and expertise, usually after years of dedicated work. Brilliant suggests exceptional intellectual sharpness or creative originality. For example: a talented musician plays well, but a gifted one has extraordinary musical intuition that cannot be taught; a skilled surgeon has honed their technique through thousands of hours of practice; an accomplished pianist has performed at major venues worldwide; and a brilliant composer writes works that change the direction of a musical genre.

talented ↗skilled ↗accomplished ↗brilliant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • highly gifted
  • exceptionally gifted
  • naturally gifted
  • academically gifted
  • musically gifted
  • artistically gifted
  • intellectually gifted

Phrases

  • gifted and talented

Prepositions

  • gifted in
  • gifted at

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Gifted comes from the noun gift, meaning a natural ability or talent, combined with the adjective suffix -ed (having the quality of). The word gift traces back to Old English gift (payment for a wife, dowry), from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. The meaning 'natural talent' for gift emerged in the 1500s, and gifted in the sense of 'endowed with natural ability' appeared in the early 1600s.