1
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
an inexpert attempt at putting on an outdoor concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
the inexpert mechanic only made the problem worse—and charged me a fortune for doing it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
well-meaning but inexpert expressions of sympathy from friends after the funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in amateur
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science
the shoddy tiling in the bathroom was a sure sign that it was the work of an inexpert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inexpert
Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2022
Despite the exhibition’s dynamism and appreciated efforts to frame each work for the viewer, the accompanying wall text and political readings felt thin and inexpert at times.
—Dallas News, 6 May 2022
That’s not surprising: Conspiracy theorists often aim to ply the inexpert masses with plausible-sounding but inaccurate legalisms in order to sow confusion.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
The evening was a simple, completely inexpert exercise in apolitical comity.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 June 2021
Adjective
The procedure is not without risk: The mortality rate from tellurium injections is 12 percent, and can rise as high as 68 percent for children when the work is performed by an inexpert hand.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2022
Despite the exhibition’s dynamism and appreciated efforts to frame each work for the viewer, the accompanying wall text and political readings felt thin and inexpert at times.
—Dallas News, 6 May 2022
That’s not surprising: Conspiracy theorists often aim to ply the inexpert masses with plausible-sounding but inaccurate legalisms in order to sow confusion.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
The evening was a simple, completely inexpert exercise in apolitical comity.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inexpert
Adjective
-
All of Quigley’s challengers are politically inexperienced but impassioned Democrats running to the incumbent’s left.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The most common complaints include denying legitimate claims, partnering with inexperienced and unqualified service providers, poor service, and slow response times.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
He was declared incompetent to stand trial at this time and the judge accepted that recommendation Friday.—
Riley Rourke,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Michael Skakel was convicted of killing Martha Moxley, but freed from prison after a court deemed his lawyer incompetent.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The tech driving my first clumsy steps included a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and GPS sensors monitoring each ski’s position and the weight and angle of my heel.—
Kendall Hunter,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Only amateurs, another agent told me, would try to cut corners by using AI photos.—
Franklin Schneider,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Aside from the New York Giants’ capitalizing on John Harbaugh’s sudden availability, the most memorable parts of this period will be owners behaving like amateurs in public and then defaulting to their callow and superficial hiring practices.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The running back suffered ligament tears while dislocating his ankle, which resulted in a compound wound and replays unfit for television.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Department of Homeland Security has disputed accusations of unfit conditions.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Reaching backward or twisting around other people to grab a bag is awkward and strains muscles.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
These things are often awkward at the best of times and with the best of families, but this oddball mess of a household might just be the actual worst.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Suites with interconnecting doors across the balcony are a great choice for larger families, and most regular activities include child-friendly options, like the beginner’s surfing classes in calmer waves or toddler bikes for cycling along the nature reserve.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Revelstoke Mountain Resort boasts the most vertical in North America (5,620 feet) and has a rugged feel with chutes and bowls up top and beginner-friendly terrain near the base.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
-
The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Inexpert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inexpert. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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