1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events
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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
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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 while the area's temperatures are rather lovely year-round, the region's increasingly hazardous air pollution makes visits from February through March seriously uncomfortable.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
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The impasse has boxed South Africa into an uncomfortable corner because CRRC is owned by the Chinese government, and Beijing is a key BRICS partner.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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At first, the teen denied having an inappropriate relationship with Rivera.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But weighting the draft odds is a delicate business — and one the Bulls remain committed to approaching with a clumsy commitment to competitiveness.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Kurt's key takeaway Scammers are no longer relying only on clumsy emails or obvious red flags.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The statement came after Bloomberg reported that Oracle and OpenAI had dropped plans to expand the site, though Oracle said media reports regarding Abilene were incorrect.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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He was charged in 2013 with tax fraud for filing an incorrect return tied to a Ponzi scheme operated by another man.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
From historic wins, like the first woman to win for cinematography and seventh-ever Oscar tie, to awkward silences to moving tributes and very, very long bits from host Conan O’Brien, the March 15 ceremony was emotional and eventful.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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During the acceptance speech for Two People Exchanging Saliva, an awkward moment occurred when the microphone started to descend and the camera shifted to host Conan O'Brien, who was still waiting for the speeches to end.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The disease causes bitter, misshapen fruit unsuitable for sale or eating; infected trees eventually die, according to the CDFA.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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So many clubs have fallen victim to unsuitable ownership and abject mismanagement, dragged down far beyond their natural level.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Shadow of Turkmenchay The uneasy relationship between the two powers stretches back nearly two centuries.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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Residents who attended the rally said the situation has left many neighbors uneasy.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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 18 Mar. 2026.
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