To say a person is clever, skilful, knowledgeable, etc.
Clever and Gifted
clever
adjective
A1 having or showing the ability to learn and understand things quickly and easily:
skilful:
gifted
adjective
C1 having special ability in a particular subject or activity:
a gifted dancer/musician
clever, or having a special ability:
Schools often fail to meet the needs of gifted children.
able
adjective
C2 intelligent or good at what you do:
academic
C2 used to describe someone who is clever and enjoys studying:
I was never a particularly academic child.
cunning
adjective
C2 Cunning people are clever at planning something so that they get what they want, especially by tricking other people, or things that are cleverly made for a particular purpose:
flair
noun
C1 [ S ] natural ability to do something well:
He has a flair for languages.
genius
noun [ C or U ]
C1 very great and rare natural ability or skill, especially in a particular area such as science or art, or a person who has this:
ingenious
adjective
(of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods:
have a genius for sth
to be especially skilled at a particular activity:
imaginative
adjective approving
C1 new, original, and clever:
The architects have made imaginative use of glass and transparent plastic.
C1 good at thinking of new, original, and clever ideas:
an imaginative designer
wit
noun
C1 [ S or U ] the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way:
a woman of great intelligence and wit
Her conversation sparkled with her own subtle blend of wit and charm.
He was known for his dry/ready/sharp wit.
witty
adjective
B2 using words in a clever and funny way:
a witty comment/remark
He was witty and very charming.
Her music is witty, ironic and allusive.
She gave a witty, entertaining and articulate speech.
It was obvious from their witty intimacies that they had been good friends for many years.
quick-witted
adjective
able to reply in a clever or funny way without thinking for a long time
intelligent
adjective
B1 showing intelligence, or able to learn and understand things easily:
talented
adjective
B1 with talent; able or skilful:
a talented golfer/pianist
talent
noun
[ C or U ] (someone who has) a natural ability to be good at something, especially without being taught:
Her talent for music showed at an early age.
His artistic talents were wasted in his boring job.
She has loads of natural talent as a runner and with rigorous training she could be a world-beater.
I play the piano tolerably well, though I have no particular talent for it.
Musically speaking , this band has a lot of talent.
She has a God-given talent as a painter.
Creativity, ingenuity and flair are the songwriter’s real talents.
apt
adjective
formal having a natural ability or skill:
We have some particularly apt students in the class this year.
artful
adjective
clever and skilful, especially in getting what you want:
canny
adjective
thinking quickly and cleverly, especially in business or financial matters:
These salesmen are a canny lot*.
*lot
noun [ plural ] uk informal
a group of people:
Knowledgeable and experienced
Knowledgeable/knowledgable
adjective
C1 knowing a lot:
experienced
adjective approving
B1 having skill or knowledge because you have done something many times:
an experienced teacher
She is very experienced in marketing.
veteran
noun [ C ]
C2 a person who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity:
well educated
adjective
C1 having had a good education:
educated
adjective
B2 having learned a lot at school or university and having a good level of knowledge:
skilful
adjective
B2 good at doing something, especially because you have practised doing it:
sophisticated
adjective
B2 having a good understanding of the way people behave and/or a good knowledge of culture and fashion:
B2 intelligent or made in a complicated way and therefore able to do complicated tasks:
practised/practiced
adjective
very good at doing something because you have a lot of experience of doing it:
proficient
adjective
skilled and experienced:
seasoned
adjective
having a lot of experience of doing something and therefore knowing how to do it well:
scholarly
adjective
A scholarly person studies a lot and knows a lot about what they study:
a scholarly young woman
worldly
practical and having a lot of experience of life:
a man/woman of the world
someone who has a lot of experience of life and people, and can deal with most situations
perceptive
adjective
C2 very good at noticing and understanding things that many people do not notice:
far-sighted
adjective
uk having good judgment about what will be needed in the future and making wise decisions based on this:
a penetrating mind
a mind that understands things quickly and well
perspicacious
adjective formal approving
quick in noticing, understanding, or judging things accurately:
Making good judgements
resourceful
adjective approving
C2 skilled at solving problems and making decisions on your own:
presence of mind
noun [ U ]
C2 the ability to make good decisions and to act quickly and calmly in a difficult situation or an emergency:
wisely
adverb
C1 showing good judgment:
wisdom
noun [ U ]
B2 the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments:
with the wisdom of hindsight
with the knowledge that experience gives you:
With the wisdom of hindsight we now know that the old-fashioned aerosol sprays were a mistake.
wise
B2 approving having or showing the ability to make good judgments, based on a deep understanding and experience of life:
I think you made a wise choice.
Looking at the weather, I think we made a wise decision not to go to the coast this weekend.
I never used to save money but now I’m a little older and wiser I can see the point of it.
Was it Thomas More who said that the wise man learns from the experience of others?
an old/a wise head on young shoulders
a child or young person who thinks and talks like an older person who has more experience of life
reasonable
adjective
B2 based on or using good judgment and therefore fair and practical:
sensible
adjective
B1 based on or acting on good judgment and practical ideas or understanding:
acumen
noun [ U ] formal
skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics:
She has considerable business/financial acumen.
discriminating
adjective formal approving
able to know and act on the difference between good and bad:
They’re discriminating shoppers.
discerning
adjective formal approving
showing good judgment, especially about style and quality:
a discerning customer