1
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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2
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
1
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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2
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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as in amateurism
a lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or professional
I was surprised at the amateurishness of the dance presentation, considering it was put on by supposed professionals
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of amateur
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Last year, MrBeast (AKA Jimmy Donaldson) released a video featuring amateurs competing against Brady, Noah Lyles, Bryce Harper, Bryson DeChambeau and Cristiano Ronaldo.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Of the five listed here, three (Harang, Castillo, Arroyo) came via trades, one was drafted (Bailey), and one was signed as an amateur (Cueto).
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 29 May 2025
With the win, Iwai became the third rookie to win this season, joining compatriot Rio Takeda, who won the Blue Bay LPGA in March, and former World No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad, who won the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amateur
Noun
With sophisticated weather apps now available on most cellphones, amateurs can pinpoint the time and location of where supercells, the structures which produce tornadoes, are likely to occur.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Last year, MrBeast (AKA Jimmy Donaldson) released a video featuring amateurs competing against Brady, Noah Lyles, Bryce Harper, Bryson DeChambeau and Cristiano Ronaldo.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Of the five listed here, three (Harang, Castillo, Arroyo) came via trades, one was drafted (Bailey), and one was signed as an amateur (Cueto).
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 29 May 2025
With the win, Iwai became the third rookie to win this season, joining compatriot Rio Takeda, who won the Blue Bay LPGA in March, and former World No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad, who won the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateur
Adjective
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Again, avocational people being kind of ahead of the archaeological profession.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Feb. 2024
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The avocational musicians rehearse three hours each Monday evening through the academic year, with two additional rehearsals during concert weeks.—
Beth Wood,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2023
Adjective
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That both Rios and Andrade are nonprofessional actors shows Soto’s command of the substance of his film.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
24 May 2025
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An author inevitably faces the threat of proportional imbalance: a glut of one (the tantalizing range of delicacies eaten) and want of the other (the nonprofessional life lived).—
Charlotte Druckman,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Amateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateur. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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