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

Relevance

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

Then, in his most recent outing against the Angels, Skubal dominated for seven shutout innings, a forceful reminder of the ability that led him to this uncomfortable precipice.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Abi Adamson, author of Culture Blooming (the Substack and book) starts somewhere more uncomfortable.

— Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of uncomfortable

Adjective

There has been some opposition, including from the Mauthausen Committee, Austria’s main Holocaust survivors’ group, which has argued both that a police station is inappropriate and that more should be done to draw attention to Hitler’s crimes.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
State auditors found in 2018 that $700K in voucher money being spent on cosmetics, clothing, and other inappropriate items.

— Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

And the big rocket launch feels way too clumsy, the stakes feeling much lower than play builds towards.

— David John Chávez, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Paul Breitner, West Germany vs Netherlands, 1974 The Germans equalise from the spot after a clumsy foul by Wim Jansen.

— Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

At the World Cup, there were at least six examples of incorrect or — to be generous — highly dubious interventions that made reasonable on-field decisions worse across the 104 matches.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
In September, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services sent a notice denying her coverage, citing incorrect income information and stating she wasn't disabled, according to Kolosova and state documents reviewed by KFF Health News.

— Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adjective

And having everyone try to speak in English with Greek accents (not that the Greeks 2700 years ago would have sounded like Greeks do today) would have been awkward.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
If the process had advanced to a hearing, the Blues would have been put in the awkward position of having to build a case against him.

— Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

As one Ithacan subject fondly recalls, Odysseus always had an unfashionable belief in playing fair.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
In a country where air conditioning is both uncommon and unfashionable, many have sought relief by swimming, despite the danger involved.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 24 June 2026

Definition of unfashionable

Browse Nearby Words

inelegance

inelegant

inelegantly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of inelegant

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on inelegant

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

itinerant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes