Word.ws English Dictionary

smooth operator

smooth operator noun: a person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.

Noun

smooth operator (plural smooth operators)

  1. (idiomatic) A person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
    • In Washington he has earned a reputation as a smooth operator who can handle lobbyists, bureaucrats and even Congressmen, with a cool head.1986 February 10, “American Notes: Agriculture”, in Time, archived from the original on 21 Dec 2008
    • Alexander lit up Connecticut for 34 points in a Big East quarterfinal win last week. He is a smooth operator who can score in a variety of ways.2008 March 17, Andy Katz, “Tourney Trail”, in ESPN.com, retrieved 13 Oct 2008
  2. (idiomatic) A skillful, manipulative person, con artist, or clever scoundrel.
    • He plays the hospital administrator, a fast-talking smooth operator who cons patients and doctors alike.1972 September 29, Fred Wright, “Film Review: Sex Film Minus Punchline?”, in St. Petersburg Independent, retrieved 13 Oct 2008, page 5-B
    • His eyes are like angels', his heart is cold / No need to ask / He's a smooth operator1984, “Smooth Operator”, in Diamond Life, performed by Sade

Forms of smooth operator

pluralsmooth operators

Questions about smooth operator

What does smooth operator mean?
Smooth operator means a person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace, especially one with verbal skills who is persuasive in interpersonal relationships, negotiation, etc.
What part of speech is smooth operator?
Smooth operator is a noun.
What is the plural of smooth operator?
The plural of smooth operator is smooth operators.

Words near smooth operator in the dictionary

  1. smooth mudalia
  2. smooth muscle
  3. smooth muscles
  4. smooth newt
  5. smooth newts
  6. smooth operator
  7. smooth operators
  8. smooth out
  9. smooth over
  10. smooth sailing
  11. smooth shark

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: smooth operator (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-smooth operator.ogg.

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