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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inelegant
The traffic, bachelorette party buses and more inelegant tourists are far out of sight and view from up here.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
But this didn’t change the fact of the previous incorrect and inelegant sentence.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the most common mineral filters, are notoriously finicky ingredients—the thick white powders are cosmetically inelegant and prone to leaving white casts, particularly on deeper skin tones.
—Dani Hardman, Allure, 15 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
But this didn’t change the fact of the previous incorrect and inelegant sentence.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the most common mineral filters, are notoriously finicky ingredients—the thick white powders are cosmetically inelegant and prone to leaving white casts, particularly on deeper skin tones.
—Dani Hardman, Allure, 15 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inelegant
Adjective
-
Say goodbye to your uncomfortable bras and join the more than 200 Amazon shoppers who have snapped up this Vrcomfy Wireless Bra in the past month.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
The number is uncomfortable on purpose Strip away the brand.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said at a news conference that Hill’s conduct was inappropriate but ultimately harmless.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
On April 12, former congressman Swalwell, 45, suspended his campaign for governor of California after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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But less fine is Kreutzer’s decision to make Kühn’s own domestic challenges a parallel story, set up in clumsy counterpoint with Lucy’s.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Salmonflies, however, are bigger and clumsier than smaller insects like mayflies.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Vanegas, who has lived at Forest View Mobile Home park for two years, stood at the culmination of a nearly yearlong effort to save the park after Blue Island officials ordered the property owners to evict residents, citing unsafe conditions, incorrect zoning, unpaid water debt and code violations.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Similarly unimpressive, if not technically incorrect, is Sieger’s dish.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a video about an erratic Uber driver, a recognizable dynamic—awkward small talk, impatience to set off—escalates into a life-threatening one.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Hannah and Garrett’s connection begins with an awkward encounter.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
The treatments were carried out at Ali’s semi-detached home in Leicester, which was described by investigators and witnesses as unsanitary and unsuitable for clinical care, the news outlet reported.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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There, migrant labor, economic need and repressed desire collide, especially through his uneasy bond with Arvydas, a Czech co-worker whose open homophobia masks darker tensions.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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The landfill theory made some birding enthusiasts uneasy and prompted some authorities, locals and others to defend Ushuaia, a city of nearly 85,000 that draws tourists to its Antarctic cruise ships and abundant, watchworthy bird population.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Novak stars as the unfashionable businessman Jay Ravitz.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
Gilberto and Kleberson formed an unfashionable midfield duo largely unknown outside Brazil.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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