July 31, 2015
dilettante (noun)
\DILL-uh-tahnt\ Hear it!
What does it mean?
1 : an admirer or lover of the arts2 : a person who has a shallow interest in an art or area of knowledge
How do you use it?
"It is not his profession, then?" "By no means. What is to me a means of livelihood is to him the merest hobby of a dilettante." (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, _Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes_)
Are you a word wiz?

Which one of these words do you think is a synonym of "dilettante"?

Your word skills show real depth if you picked C. "Dilettante" usually implies trifling in the arts or an area of knowledge without having a serious commitment. ("The orchestra conductor professed no patience for dilettantes.") "Amateur," meanwhile, often applies to someone who practices an art without mastering its basics. ("The painting was obviously done by an amateur.") "Dabbler," another synonym, suggests unreliable work habits and lack of focus. ("He's a dabbler who starts novels but never finishes them.") And "tyro" describes a learner who lacks experience. ("She shows talent but is still a mere tyro.")
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