as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
an incompetent carpenter had built the deck, and the railings were loose already
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incompetent
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Although there are occasional car chases and shootouts and eventually an upsettingly high body count, its cops are not particularly competent (Lizzie, in fact, is notably incompetent, prone to freezing up at inopportune times), and its criminals not especially clever.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
About a month after Millette was arrested, she was declared incompetent to stand trial after a psychiatric evaluation and was admitted to Summit Behavioral Healthcare.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Antoni is that rarity who has drawn harsh criticism from economists on the right as well as the mainstream for being ignorant, unprincipled, and incompetent.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Noun
Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Although there are occasional car chases and shootouts and eventually an upsettingly high body count, its cops are not particularly competent (Lizzie, in fact, is notably incompetent, prone to freezing up at inopportune times), and its criminals not especially clever.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
About a month after Millette was arrested, she was declared incompetent to stand trial after a psychiatric evaluation and was admitted to Summit Behavioral Healthcare.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Antoni is that rarity who has drawn harsh criticism from economists on the right as well as the mainstream for being ignorant, unprincipled, and incompetent.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetent
Adjective
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On the flip side, O’Regan said, physically fit people with obesity had a ‘younger’ cardiovascular age than unfit people.—
Kristen Fischer,
Health,
28 Aug. 2025
-
For instance, not spending time with the children, using overly harsh or inappropriate discipline, undermining the other parent’s authority or showing a lack of interest in the children’s lives can make a partner seem like an unfit parent, and consequently, an unfit partner.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 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
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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
-
While the homage is heartfelt, and certainly packs its share of genuine laughs, the end result can’t escape feeling like a hodgepodge, incapable of cohesively blending the satirical elements with the earnest messaging foremost on its mind.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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About three and a half hours later, Cody Bellinger made the kind of throw Judge was seemingly incapable of making.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When the officer directed the man to the front of the station house for assistance, the suspect allegedly pulled out the butcher knife and attacked her but the officer was able to fight him off, Rivera said.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
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Foothills is the sixth venture from the McKissicks, a local family whose business pursuits have evolved for the past two decades—from a farm to a butcher shop to this fresh iteration.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For more instant gratification, grab a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon or the end of a rolling pin).—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incompetent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetent. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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