versatile

versatile, many-sided, all-around can all mean marked by or showing skill or ability or capacity or usefulness of many different kinds. When applied to persons, versatile stresses aptitude and facility in many different activities requiring skill or ability, especially the ability to turn with no diminution in skill from one activity to another without a hitch; applied to things, it stresses their multiple and diverse qualities, uses, or possibilities

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a versatile student

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the most versatile soprano now active— Kolodin

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versatile interests

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a versatile combat weapon

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a versatile building material

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Many-sided applied to persons stresses breadth or diversity of interests or accomplishments; applied to things, their diversity of aspects, attributes, or uses

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a many-sided scholar and citizen

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a many-sided and truly civilized life— Trevelyan

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a many-sided personality

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a many-sided agreement— Manchester Guardian

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All-around implies completeness or symmetry in development, either general or within a single activity with many phases; the term need not imply special or great attainments but rather a general ability to do oneself credit; when applied to things, it implies an analogous general usefulness

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many observers have called him the best all-around reporter in the country— Walker

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the all-around adaptability and quality of our men— Vosseller

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Analogous words: gifted, talented (see corresponding nouns at GIFT): accomplished, finished, *consummate: ready, apt, *quick, prompt