Literary notes about ADROIT (AI summary)
In literature, “adroit” is often used to describe characters or actions marked by skillful maneuvering and dexterity. Authors employ the term to denote not only physical grace but also intellectual agility and strategic cleverness. For instance, in one narrative a character is described as adept in various swindles and schemes [1], while in another, Hugo contrasts the adroitness of characters to highlight both physical and mental prowess [2, 3]. The word also accentuates shrewd interactions—as when a character’s subtle insinuations are deemed artfully manipulative [4]—or even illustrates the finesse in managing complex situations, be it in settings as diverse as political debates [5] or moments of high tension during a daring escape [6]. This versatility of “adroit” across contexts underscores its role as a refined marker of resourceful and skilful behavior in literary works.
- From this time he became an irreclaimable vagabond, put to all sorts of shifts, and adroit in all kinds of swindles, to raise means.
— from Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 1 From the twelfth to the eighteenth century by Arthur Griffiths - Brujon was adroit; Guelemer was vigorous.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - There existed in him two men, the ferocious man and the adroit man.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - “I am, in fact,” he muttered, at once flattered by Varvara Petrovna’s adroit insinuations.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The United States was adroit enough to obtain the immense psychological leverage of getting the Korean war recognized as a UN war.
— from Psychological Warfare by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger - It was an adroit escape from a predicament, and she felt relieved.
— from Uncle Terry: A Story of the Maine Coast by Charles Clark Munn
