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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incompetent
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Feeding the incompetent narrative is the fact that while HHS secretary, Becerra lost track of 85,000 immigrant children.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Adjective
In a May 11 Facebook post, Irvin argued that Laesch would rather chase ICE than opportunities for Aurora, building a broader case for recall by arguing that Laesch has been an incompetent leader who is damaging Aurora.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Feeding the incompetent narrative is the fact that while HHS secretary, Becerra lost track of 85,000 immigrant children.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Noun
The Dodgers reached the pinnacle honestly, in a capitalistic structure that properly hands no favors to the incompetent.
—Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetent
Adjective
-
The unfit-father comedy was a staple, dating back to Three Men and a Baby being the highest-grossing movie of 1987.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
What should be used as a safeguard against an unfit or abusive president has instead become a routine mechanism for resolving political conflict.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 May 2026
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
-
This is an open society that the Islamic Republic of Iran is structurally incapable of being.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
-
Last season, when City won just 11 of 31 games in all competitions and often looked physically incapable of playing a full 90 minutes, Guardiola felt under pressure again.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Somewhere a hand was raised, a whistle was blown, and all at once the butchers were out of their stalls, assembling in the aisles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The cruel bear Croconok and the man with the butcher’s knife also appeared at the corner of Rue Salengro.—
Annie Ernaux,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
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 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
