as in amateur
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
that's an amateurish wallpapering job—the pattern doesn't match at the seams
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Recent Examples of amateurish
Those kinds of records—Talulah Gosh and Beat Happening—tended to the lo-fi and amateurish as a point of pride.
—
Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Bannon, for his part, slammed Kennedy's effectiveness as health secretary, calling his efforts to implement an anti-vaccine agenda unserious and amateurish.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Relations only continued to tank when, in 2020, American mercenaries attempted to overthrow the Venezuelan government in an amateurish scheme.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
People who understand the process of diplomacy think that this is very amateurish and is unlikely to yield real results that are enforceable.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
The looks are nearly all amateurish and awkward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
That gives Easy’s Waltz a strangely amateurish vibe, as if Vince Vaughn and Al Pacino have somehow stumbled into someone’s student film.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Bannon, for his part, slammed Kennedy's effectiveness as health secretary, calling his efforts to implement an anti-vaccine agenda unserious and amateurish.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Relations only continued to tank when, in 2020, American mercenaries attempted to overthrow the Venezuelan government in an amateurish scheme.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
People who understand the process of diplomacy think that this is very amateurish and is unlikely to yield real results that are enforceable.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
The looks are nearly all amateurish and awkward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
That gives Easy’s Waltz a strangely amateurish vibe, as if Vince Vaughn and Al Pacino have somehow stumbled into someone’s student film.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateurish
Adjective
-
In Short’s case, the flattening is particularly egregious, because the inchoate facts of her life are shoehorned into the obsessions of amateur sleuths who continue to get those facts wrong.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Buskey, who previously competed as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter in local Cage Wars events according to the Times Union, has remained in custody since his arrest in April 2024.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Local officials have grown increasingly wary of unprepared and inexperienced hikers setting out on some of the toughest peaks during perilous conditions.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Ryan, in his first season as the Trojans’ linebackers coach, was dealt a tough hand of mostly young, inexperienced players.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
-
The former prosecutor, Shawn Fuller, claimed he was fired for being a whistleblower, not for unprofessional conduct.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amateurish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateurish. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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