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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inexpert
Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 July 2025
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
Adjective
Ariel Neuman, the lead attorney representing Tesla, vigorously objected to Rosario’s testimony, deeming it inexpert and irrelevant.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 July 2025
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
-
The team overachieved this season partly because Mazzulla turned an inexperienced supporting cast into a strength.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Short selling can be an intellectually demanding approach to the market, and many inexperienced traders fall into a trap, lured by overvaluation and hype.—
David Capablanca,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the reason is not as simple as an incompetent training staff.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
-
There should be no place in our politics for incompetent, opportunistic operatives who violate privacy, betray trust, and prioritize vengeance over decency.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
After the zapfest on Earth, the anti-climactic tussle between the forces of good and evil occurs back on Eternia, where He-Man and his nemesis cross swords in a clumsy fight that’s not only predictable but also photographed and edited poorly.—
Jeffrey Ressner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
The simple walking pattern adopted by fish, which the Cambridge researchers call an ‘undulating tripod gait’, can appear to be quite clumsy and involves too much flopping.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The chain began in New York in 2017 and focused on group boxing classes and resistance training sessions, spanning difficulty levels from amateur to professional.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
-
Ganne played in the final group of the 2021 Open as a 17-year-old high schooler at Olympic Club in San Francisco, eventually finishing as the top amateur.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The unfit-father comedy was a staple, dating back to Three Men and a Baby being the highest-grossing movie of 1987.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
What should be used as a safeguard against an unfit or abusive president has instead become a routine mechanism for resolving political conflict.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Indeed, a dying wish and a cryptic clue lead the unlikely duo on a journey full of twists and turns, bad choices, awkward conversations, lies, fights, mystery, betrayal, and a dangerous killer.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
Stakeholder facilitation and consensus-building bridge communication gaps and ease awkward conversations about one’s own compensation.—
Jim Hebets,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The Bawah Survivor programme has a beginner-level escape room/scavenger hunt up to an advanced level, where guests can overnight in the open on the outer islands.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Zone 2 is still well-suited for beginners, older adults, and injury recovery.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 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 9 Jun. 2026.
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