1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste
inelegant furniture that looked like it belonged in a budget motel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inelegant
A certain inelegant hastiness in the plot has been resolved by treating the monologues almost as arias, giving them each an equal sense of grandeur, like the relentless finale of a fireworks display.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Thompson’s American accent is something to behold: flat, inelegant, and charmless, which is to say, the opposite of how Thompson usually sounds, and for playing the gay American version of herself, Thompson won the Emmy for Guest Star in a Comedy.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Their ingenious creation — an unlikely combination of spacesuit parts, duct tape, and the suddenly obsolete mission plan — encapsulates the film in an inelegant nutshell.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Thompson’s American accent is something to behold: flat, inelegant, and charmless, which is to say, the opposite of how Thompson usually sounds, and for playing the gay American version of herself, Thompson won the Emmy for Guest Star in a Comedy.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Their ingenious creation — an unlikely combination of spacesuit parts, duct tape, and the suddenly obsolete mission plan — encapsulates the film in an inelegant nutshell.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inelegant
Adjective
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And second, there’s the audience’s uncomfortable tingle of recognition watching Vladimir Putin’s tightening stranglehold on the Russian press.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Fortunately, there are many people who care enough about ballet to face these uncomfortable truths, and who are working to bring ballet into the twenty-first century by challenging traditions that don’t serve dancers’ health or the long-term health of the artform.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Weisz aces the slapstick comedy of being hot and bothered in an inappropriate setting.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Kamlager-Dove said Noem’s lack of a direct answer raised concerns about her having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and showed a lack of judgment in national security decisions.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Then, however, Phillips was sent off four minutes into the second half for a clumsy lunge at Svante Ingelsson, and suddenly Wednesday believed.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And the claim of widespread abuse of sheep during shearing is incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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More than 14,000 child car seats were recalled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after officials said incorrect information was included in the seats' safety manuals.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Our awkward hero copes with grief through humor while navigating relationships with her type-A sister (Sian Clifford), her nasty stepmother (Olivia Colman), and, in season 2, a hot priest (Andrew Scott).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
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This profound snow drought comes at an especially awkward time, compounding a quarter-century of regional aridification that has drained the nation’s two largest reservoirs to precarious depths.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Environmental chemist Cassandra Rauert noted that this technique is currently unsuitable for identifying polyethylene or PVC in human tissue because molecules from human fat can mimic the signal of these plastics.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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This is a significant issue for a project intended for deep-space mission launches, microgravity research, and space manufacturing – only for it to be found unsuitable for any of those goals, largely due to the presence of the astronauts themselves.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many travelers feel 'uneasy' about going abroad.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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The United States and Israel’s widening war with Iran has stricken an already uneasy global economy with a new bout of uncertainty.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gilberto and Kleberson formed an unfashionable midfield duo largely unknown outside Brazil.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Here’s a rapid-fire update on each stock in the portfolio, starting with seven currently unfashionable names that Jim says should soon be back in style.—
Paulina Likos,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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