as in defective
having a fault
an imperfect representation of the circumstances surrounding Paul Revere's famous ride
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperfect
Coupled with the slow start on Saturday, the offensive line appeared just as imperfect.
—
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
These tiles are highly sought after for their rich colors, signature shine, and imperfect, handmade forms.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
The results suggest scalable, reliable quantum systems could be built using today’s imperfect hardware.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
The cars are startled by a ghost car named Brenda (a perfectly imperfect name), who introduces them to other friendly ghost vehicles, most of whom have experienced deadly crashes and now honk funny.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperfect
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
These tiles are highly sought after for their rich colors, signature shine, and imperfect, handmade forms.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
The results suggest scalable, reliable quantum systems could be built using today’s imperfect hardware.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
The cars are startled by a ghost car named Brenda (a perfectly imperfect name), who introduces them to other friendly ghost vehicles, most of whom have experienced deadly crashes and now honk funny.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperfect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperfect
Adjective
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Advertisement Experts have said that any such policy is almost certain to face immediate legal challenges, and that implementing the rule would rely on potential buyers self-declaring as mentally ill or a court determining them to be mentally defective.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
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The manufacturer also offers a year warranty for defective products, and the purchase comes with a free bow, rosin cake and a carrying case with straps.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This was a classic Smith performance with tons of yardage and some risky throws with both good and bad results.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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You were called something much worse, and [it was] accepted.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The problem is a deeply flawed political system that repeatedly incentivizes the wrong choices.—
Les Rubin,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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These are flawed characters struggling at the top of the middle or the bottom of the top; one is on the way down, the other on the way up.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperfect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperfect. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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