ineptly

adverb

Definition of ineptlynext
as in poorly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 ineptly The collapse of the Constitution’s balance of powers between three branches of government got us into an unneeded war conducted ineptly. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026 Dancing the Poznan really ineptly, mind you, but dancing nonetheless. — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025 Somehow this ineptly plotted affair lured Keke Palmer into its lair and her comedy chops all but gets handcuffed by an illogical, unfunny screenplay. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineptly
  1. poorly
  2. incompetently
  3. inefficiently
Adverb
  • Owens not only lacked an undergraduate degree but did poorly in school, where she was described as a hopeless case.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The researchers are now incorporating F³ into autonomous drones designed to navigate cluttered and poorly lit environments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Clinicians should be working to support us, not fumbling incompetently or making paternalistic determinations.
    — Meg LeDuc, STAT, 23 Sep. 2026
  • As was mentioned in your editorial, the Broward school district has been incompetently managed, wasteful and corrupt for years.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Definition of incompetently
Adverb
  • In our own polling of 200 chief executives at the Yale CEO Summit in June 2025, 40% said AI hype has led to overinvestment, and more than 40% admitted that AI investments have been allocated inefficiently.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • For instance, Chancellor Kamar Samuels admitted that more than 200 schools now have fewer than 200 students each, inefficiently driving up per pupil costs past $50,000 a child — money that could be used better elsewhere in the system.
    — Ciara Jackson, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of inefficiently

Browse Nearby Words

ineptitude
ineptly
ineptness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ineptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineptly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All