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
Relevance
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
That should be the story of the game, if not for how inept the other side of the ball was.
—
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
But the show lightly bounces between these observations, with only Seth Rogen’s inept but earnest studio head as the constant.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2025
Locals were disgusted with city leadership’s inept handling of the crisis.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Then, an inept psychic (Vanessa Bayer) meddles in the family affair, with a supernatural shift causing Anna and Tess to swap bodies and souls with Harper and Lily.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
But the show lightly bounces between these observations, with only Seth Rogen’s inept but earnest studio head as the constant.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2025
Locals were disgusted with city leadership’s inept handling of the crisis.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Then, an inept psychic (Vanessa Bayer) meddles in the family affair, with a supernatural shift causing Anna and Tess to swap bodies and souls with Harper and Lily.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inept
Adjective
-
Although Beijing has outcompeted Washington in Myanmar up to this point, the junta’s woefully incompetent management of its currency and foreign reserves presents an opportunity for the United States to recalibrate its approach to the country.—
Dan Swift,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Sep. 2025
-
California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit!—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The decision in Gardner’s favor could become a significant ruling for celebrities who use humor, exaggeration and sarcasm that some might find inappropriate when responding to strangers on social media platforms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
That Arthur, as the eldest, will inherit the brewery seems a bit inappropriate.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Threading that narrative in there, and getting all the clumsy beats and the awkward beats, felt like a continuation of the narrative.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Well accustomed to the bumps and bruises that come with playing defense at a high level, Thomas can look back with some humor at one of the ankle injuries, which was due to a clumsy play.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The real star of this episode, however, was Gretchen Christine Beauté and her stupid Lara Croft outfit.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Among the colorful cast of rogues, villains, queens and clergymen, Andre The Giant stands out as the young suitor’s kind-hearted but stupid brute.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And every year, a vast quantity is thrown away as unfit to eat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Lee would sometimes visit Anderson at the Highland Chateau health and rehabilitation center in Highland Park, where she had been relocated with some objection after her Surrey Avenue property was deemed unfit for human habitation.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The environment, rich in chemicals and low in oxygen due to bacterial mats, was unsuitable for scavengers.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Due to the approaching darkness and unsuitable weather conditions, rescuers could not be deployed that night out of concern for their safety.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In July, a Coldplay concert jumbotron captured an awkward moment after panning to an embracing couple, who promptly unlocked arms and tried to dodge the camera.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
According to Fightful, Holland had an awkward landing during his match.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This place belongs to the Carver, a deranged butcher who hunts anything foolish enough to enter.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inept. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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