INELEGANT Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

inelegant

adjective

(ˌ)i-ˈne-li-gənt

Definition of inelegant

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

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

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 inelegant This strikes me as an inelegant way to write Tommy off the show, if that’s indeed what’s happening. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026 Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 But its blunt, inelegant dialogue is peppered with characters (metaphorically) vomiting up their darkest secrets. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for inelegant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inelegant

Adjective

Pryor taught me that comedy can be dangerous, uncomfortable, and still bring down the house.

— Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026
Speaking from experience, the right footwear can transform an uncomfortable ensemble into something actually functional, warm, and totally worth wearing.

— Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncomfortable

Adjective

Her colleagues voted twice last year to censure her for inappropriate criticism of city employees.

— Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Specifically, Pickard said his understanding of the immunity deal is that his testimony about adultery and an inappropriate relationship cannot be used against him as part of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

— Matt Schooley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

As Ivan and Nina wrestle with their own emotional truths, which range from her mother Nora’s departure from their lives to Ivan’s clumsy recitations of Nina’s childhood antics, something alarming is afoot.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

Use safer payment methods When shopping online, paying with a credit card generally gives you stronger protections if an order never arrives or a charge is incorrect.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
The figures represent requests for financial assistance, not necessarily complaints about incorrect water bills.

— Jamal Goss, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adjective

Trump’s local appearances might present an awkward situation for some candidates who have sought to distance themselves from the president.

— Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
In Sam’s case, his roaring egotism is somewhat awkward because he’s also obsessed with the idea of being altruistic.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

The Bears have said previously that they are focused on pursuing a $2 billion stadium across the state line in Hammond or in suburban Arlington Heights, and that the Rate Field site was unsuitable, citing in part its limited size.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
The combination of leverage, daily resets, volatility, financing costs and higher expense ratios can make these products unsuitable as long-term buy-and-hold investments.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

But bond markets are already uneasy with Brazil's growing debt-to-GDP ratio, and are likely to demand an ever-higher premium if public spending rises significantly.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
The effort is backed by an uneasy alliance between the right-wing Make America Healthy Again movement and progressives, both motivated by concerns over food safety.

— Elijah Wolfson, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Adjective

Chemically straightened Afro hairstyles had gone from being the default to increasingly unfashionable.

— Ata-owaji Victor, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
The dressing room—with its old Persian rug and deeply unfashionable mahogany desk—is just wrong enough to be, well, cool.

— Plum Sykes, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfashionable

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“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of inelegant

adjective

Example Sentences

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