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
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)
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
-
Local officials have grown increasingly wary of unprepared and inexperienced hikers setting out on some of the toughest peaks during perilous conditions.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Ryan, in his first season as the Trojans’ linebackers coach, was dealt a tough hand of mostly young, inexperienced players.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In that case, he was found incompetent to stand trial and the case was referred to Hamilton County Probate Court.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In Indiana, there are five death row inmates, with one of the inmates being deemed incompetent to stand trial.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The clumsy, confusing rollout of the fees certainly didn’t help — as many residents who were promised a locals discount couldn’t figure out how to tap that benefit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Each additional finger adds mass, increasing the chances that fingers will collide, and making overall movement more clumsy.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
What Vickers first noticed then — and what has been borne out in numerous experiments over the decades since — is that, before initiating an action, elite athletes fixate on a target of interest earlier and for longer than amateurs do.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Athletes are no longer amateurs, even in name.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently, the Meyers in Long Beach were ruled unfit as guardians, or Lynn refused to go back to them, so juvenile authorities located some blood relatives, possibly her father or half sister, and put her on a train back East.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This is a couple unfit to govern a two-bedroom.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Scenes around the dinner table are awkward to say the least, but Meg has a big supporter in bestie Penny (Sophia Torres) and a burning desire to bring this show to life against all odds.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
All four athletes stood together, smiling for photos through an undeniably awkward situation.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is for riders who are physically fit and advanced beginner or higher, who would enjoy moderate climbs and single-track trails.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
-
By understanding these new dynamics and by taking an informed approach, both beginners and veterans in the gold space can better position themselves for investing success.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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