1
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an inapt but well-meaning attempt to inject some humor into the proceedings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a recruit who was utterly inapt for most soldierly duties, so he spent most of his time playing in the army band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inapt
The precedent is inapt, not least because the media landscape then was different with far fewer news sources.
—
The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025
Beyond the application of arguably inapt legal and regulatory standards, technical and operational challenges may likewise hinder deAI adoption.
—Charlyn Ho, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The result invites obvious yet not inapt comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick, but Bentley’s film—for all its crystalline imagery, its vision of Grainier’s home as a fallen Eden, and its air of metaphysical wonderment—unfolds in a more dramatically direct, compacted register.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 25 July 2025
Beyond the application of arguably inapt legal and regulatory standards, technical and operational challenges may likewise hinder deAI adoption.
—Charlyn Ho, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
The result invites obvious yet not inapt comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick, but Bentley’s film—for all its crystalline imagery, its vision of Grainier’s home as a fallen Eden, and its air of metaphysical wonderment—unfolds in a more dramatically direct, compacted register.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The visual flair peaks in the first episode, along with the series’ shallow, if not necessarily inapt, insight into life in this particular time and place.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inapt
Adjective
-
The class counsel has argued that objectors are raising either points that were already decided, inappropriate for this forum, or unreasonable to address.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But some former students recently accused Gabbard, whose name is on the high school gym floor, of inappropriate conduct.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Miyares referenced a Richmond Times-Dispatch report of a Virginia trooper clocking Jones at 116 miles per hour, framing him as unfit to enforce the law.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The Bush and Quayle team won the 1988 election, but the impression of Quayle as unfit for the job remained a drag on Bush’s reputation.—
Time,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That wing is usually reserved for prisoners who are considered unsuitable to be kept among the prison’s general population, usually out of fears for their safety.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
But the movie only gives tiny little tastes of 1982 rock culture, and why Nebraska was so comically unsuitable for airplay.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Under California law, people who are found incompetent to stand trial must be sent to a state hospital or secure mental health care facility.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
-
He was found to be incompetent to face the charge in August 2023, and later civilly committed for a mental illness.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Using incorrect or false case references in legal documents has real implications for defendants, because judges rely on these references to help form their rulings, Kjoller’s lawyers wrote.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Appeals can be made based on factors including incorrect data, adverse testing conditions, and school or community emergencies, according to the State Board of Education.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
-
The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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This distinction also means there is no improper delegation of Congress’ taxing power.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Health inspectors cited the Mexican grocery store after carnitas and chicken measured at improper holding temperatures, a repeat violation.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
While always a much better option than the Republicans, the Democrats are a broken party incapable of offering the type of resistance this era calls for.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Either way, he’s proven incapable of leading the fight to prevent health care premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inapt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inapt. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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