1
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a well-meaning but inept assistant who can't seem to keep appointments straight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an inept comparison between nursing-home residents and day-care children that many found offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
an inept effort to become friends with their future son-in-law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
she offers one inept suggestion after another for saving the parish church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inept
Meanwhile, inept commentator Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) vainly attempts to provide colorful tidbits about each breed.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2025
An inept Pittsburgh lineup tagged him for four hits and a walk.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University leadership, donations by foreign adversaries, and pro-Hamas terrorists, Harvard has fully embraced and tolerated the raging antisemitism threatening the lives and physical safety of Jewish students on campus.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Magazine Dreams certainly isn’t inept, and Bynum, who wrote as well as directed it, summons a devastatingly spare atmosphere that’s broken up with some arrestingly dreamlike compositions when Killian arrives at a show or competition.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2025
An inept Pittsburgh lineup tagged him for four hits and a walk.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University leadership, donations by foreign adversaries, and pro-Hamas terrorists, Harvard has fully embraced and tolerated the raging antisemitism threatening the lives and physical safety of Jewish students on campus.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Magazine Dreams certainly isn’t inept, and Bynum, who wrote as well as directed it, summons a devastatingly spare atmosphere that’s broken up with some arrestingly dreamlike compositions when Killian arrives at a show or competition.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inept
Adjective
-
The Trump administration has pulled the plug on a program that provides legal help to immigrants who are determined mentally incompetent, according to a lawsuit filed by immigration legal groups.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
6 May 2025
-
City Council, do the right thing for once and put it on the ballot to overturn the requirement of requiring our incompetent city management to do this.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But lingering beneath the surface of his success, Favre had a pattern of inappropriate behavior off the field, including a high-profile tabloid scandal that erupted in 2010, and most recently, the largest case of public fraud in Mississippi’s history.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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As the rebel Jen (Michelle Williams) comes to town, and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) carries on an inappropriate relationship with his teacher, that turns out to be the case. 23.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Where the real Colin and Emma have trouble getting much further than a clumsy hug after a putt-putt date, some of the acting couples have increased their intimacy levels with breathtaking speed.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
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Word's document comparison interface is also clumsy and confusing compared with FineReader's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Not just on the training pitch but in the dorm rooms, talking about the future and giggling at stupid jokes.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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President Donald Trump said only stupid people would refuse a $400 million gift.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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That said, to be displaced is to be object, material, pushed across borders, overloaded into boats, stuffed into unfit vehicles, herded over mountains by smugglers.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
21 May 2025
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When Eleanor gives birth to a baby named Lily and—in Ruth’s eyes—proves unfit to care for her, Ruth decides to raise the girl alone.—
Sophia Stewart,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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But regulations that apply to traditional markets are unsuitable for digital native assets like crypto and digital assets.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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The vacant land, which was largely unsuitable for agriculture, became an albatross over the next few decades.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There was an awkward overhead in the third game that Sinner couldn’t meet square on.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
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Last month, the couple caught some criticism after their awkward CBS News appearance.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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And this is not a story of corporate greed run amok, because Walmart would be foolish to try to gouge its customers at a time when economic anxiety is high (more on that in a moment).—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inept. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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