1
Core meaning
A person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
Example
The violin virtuoso performed the difficult passage effortlessly.
virtuoso
/ˌvɜːtʃuˈəʊsəʊ/ · vur-choo-OH-sohnoun
A person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
Use virtuoso to express this relationship precisely: a person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
What virtuoso Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common noun frame
Use this noun in a complete noun phrase, adding the complement that identifies what it refers to when needed.
Example
Critics praised her as a virtuoso of comic timing.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact concept matters; a related term may describe its cause, evidence, or opposite instead.
Example
Technical speed alone does not make a musician a virtuoso.
Use virtuoso Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The violin virtuoso performed the difficult passage effortlessly.
Critics praised her as a virtuoso of comic timing.
Technical speed alone does not make a musician a virtuoso.
Precision Matters
Virtuoso overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
virtuoso
vs.Means a person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
adroit
Means clever, skilful, and effective in handling a difficult task or situation.
virtuoso
vs.Means a person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
dexterous
Means skilful and coordinated, especially in using the hands.
virtuoso
vs.Means a person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
ineffectual
Means failing to produce the intended or desired effect.
virtuoso
vs.Means a person with exceptional technical skill and artistry, especially in music or another performing art.
prodigious
Means remarkably large or impressive.
Test virtuoso in Context
The pianist demonstrates exceptional technical and artistic skill.
1
After performing the intricate concerto with apparent ease, the young pianist was hailed as a ___.