AMATEUR Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'amateur' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of amateur are dabbler , dilettante , and tyro . While all these words mean "a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status," amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration. // a painting obviously done by an amateur // remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

Q: In what contexts can 'dabbler' take the place of 'amateur'?

While the synonyms dabbler and amateur are close in meaning, dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence. // a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

Q: When is it sensible to use 'dilettante' instead of 'amateur'?

The words dilettante and amateur can be used in similar contexts, but dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment. // had no patience for dilettantes

Q: When might 'tyro' be a better fit than 'amateur'?

The words tyro and amateur are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering. // shows talent but is still a mere tyro

amateur 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of amateur

as in inexperienced

being such only for recreation an amateur cabinetmaker, he derives immense satisfaction from finely crafting his own furniture

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as in amateurish

lacking or showing a lack of expert skill in every room there were amateur watercolors, apparently the work of the innkeeper's wife

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

amateur

2 of 2

noun

ˈa-mə-chər

as in tinkerer

a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession an amateur photographer who has won a number of photo contests

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in beginner

a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science a homemade doghouse that looked like it was built by an amateur who hadn't mastered basic carpentry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun amateur differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of amateur are dabbler, dilettante, and tyro. While all these words mean "a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status," amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.

a painting obviously done by an amateur

remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

In what contexts can dabbler take the place of amateur?

While the synonyms dabbler and amateur are close in meaning, dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

When is it sensible to use dilettante instead of amateur?

The words dilettante and amateur can be used in similar contexts, but dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.

had no patience for dilettantes

When might tyro be a better fit than amateur?

The words tyro and amateur are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of amateur

Adjective

The 22-year old’s aspiration to return to America’s favorite amateur sport signals just how big college football has become. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 But their trek veers into all-out chaos as drugs, strippers and gun-toting amateur rappers enter the fray. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

Given Koivun's insanely impressive amateur and college career at Auburn and his nearly-immediate win on Tour, much of the golf world went ahead and wrote his name in Sharpie to be named to the Presidents Cup team. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Trump’s two main envoys to Moscow, his friend Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, were amateurs in international diplomacy and proved unable to start a proper negotiating process. — Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for amateur

Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateur

Adjective

Anna will also be strong on offense and young, inexperienced defense.

— Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
And Fins have a secondary so inexperienced the guys might need asbestos uniforms against the expected torching.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of inexperienced

Noun

When an experiment fails, the tinkerer does not collapse emotionally.

— Lintao "LT" Lu, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
In the coming months, the company plans to add more functionality and self-serve features to allow a wider range of use cases and users, eventually reaching individual tinkerers.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of tinkerer

Noun

Yarn crafters of all skill levels are welcome, from beginners to experienced makers, the release said.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is one of the best telescopes for beginner-to-intermediate stargazers who want to view deep-sky objects and appreciate assistance in manually locating the targets.

— Paul Brett, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of beginner

Adjective

Bartell, an avocational drummer and former public defender, had never owned or operated a concert venue before.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The Club’s motto, ‘Weaving spiders, come not here,’ conveys the Club’s character and purpose as a social, avocational organization.

— Wire Services, Dallas News, 7 Apr. 2023

Definition of avocational

Noun

Diesel, an occasional hobbyist musician, seems to have spent some time actually recording whatever this is.

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Models like this are also popular with hobbyists, AI researchers, and individual developers because they can be tinkered with on local hardware without per-token API fees.

— Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hobbyist

Adjective

Healthcare programs, such as nursing, are among the programs eligible for the higher limit — though such degrees were initially deemed nonprofessional and briefly capped how much money could be borrowed to pursue them.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 21 July 2026
While theology and ministry studies were designated as nonprofessional, the master of divinity degree often pursued by eventual pastors or ministers does retain professional status.

— Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of nonprofessional

Noun

During the monthly programs, yarn enthusiasts can work on their own knit, crochet or other yarn art project in a group setting, according to a press release from the district.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
The country remains a popular destination among outdoor enthusiasts due to its Amazon Rainforest and incredible salt flats.

— Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiast

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amassing

amateur

amateurish

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Style

“Amateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateur. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of amateur

adjective

noun

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Example Sentences

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Articles Related to amateur

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Cite this Entry

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