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
Those are harsh analogies but not wholly inapt ones.
—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
The small, poor European countries without much need for national defense and with mostly homogeneous populations are inapt comparisons for the huge, sprawling, wildly diverse, rich and powerful United States.
—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
10 Apr. 2026
If the codes don’t do this, or do this poorly, the remainder of any statistical analysis is rendered inapt and misleading.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
As should be clear from Carr’s manifestly inapt use of those labels, his agenda goes far beyond enforcing any particular FCC rule.
—
Jacob Sullum,
Oc Register,
24 Mar. 2026
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
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
The small, poor European countries without much need for national defense and with mostly homogeneous populations are inapt comparisons for the huge, sprawling, wildly diverse, rich and powerful United States.
—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
10 Apr. 2026
If the codes don’t do this, or do this poorly, the remainder of any statistical analysis is rendered inapt and misleading.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
As should be clear from Carr’s manifestly inapt use of those labels, his agenda goes far beyond enforcing any particular FCC rule.
—
Jacob Sullum,
Oc Register,
24 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inapt
Adjective
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Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk Becky Hill’s inappropriate comments to jurors implying his guilt.
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Live streams and other unfiltered media can expose kids to risky or inappropriate content, so adult guidance is key.
Adjective
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If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize.
-
She was deemed unfit to stand trial on medical grounds.
Adjective
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The dogs were found to be living in unsuitable conditions, while the puppies were suffering from malnutrition, and a number of the dogs had additional medical conditions as well.
-
In 2023 the agency documented signs of stress in sloths during public encounters, improper handling of a juvenile kangaroo and environmental conditions deemed unsuitable for a sloth’s care.
Adjective
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Clinical psychologists concluded after exams in the six years since his arrest that McGuire was incompetent to stand trial.
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She was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, according to a statement provided by Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Jazzlyn Johnson.
Adjective
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Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Giveaway.
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At the same time, The New York Times reported that Google’s AI Overviews produced incorrect answers roughly one in 10 times.
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.
-
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.
Adjective
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While the expiration of the enhanced ACA subsidies at the end of 2025 made insurance more expensive for millions of consumers, the HHS assistant secretary for planning and evaluation report cited efforts to crack down on improper signups.
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The agency is also asking visitors to the World Cup game or Fan Fest to report any unsafe or improper drone use to the FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Adjective
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Their rivals were a candid, impudent pair, the schoolgirlish Shakira and a throaty American bottle-service girl named Toni, both incapable of conniving their way into romance, prone to heartbreak, and swiftly ostracized for their overt judgment of other islanders.
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Following in the footsteps of Eddie the Eagle and Cool Runnings, Next Goal Wins focuses on a real-life sporting underdog that even Hollywood recognizes is incapable of being turned into a champion team.
Cite this Entry
“Inapt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inapt. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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