1
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
an unskilled handling of the facial features in the portrait explains why it is attributed to "school of Velázquez" and not to the master himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
hired unskilled workers because they would work for lower wages
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unskilled
When an unskilled injector offers up undereye filler, the more serious side effects can even include blindness or stroke.
—
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Aug. 2025
The increase in family members acting as unskilled caregivers could become more pronounced in the coming years not only because of budget cuts, but also due to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, according to experts.
—Marina E. Franco, NBC news, 31 July 2025
From 1840 to 1900, the real wages of skilled and unskilled builder craftsmen rose by 113 percent and 124 percent, respectively.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
And for more unskilled groups, such as those with less than a high school diploma, the rate of participation stands at below 50 percent and has for quite some time.
—Robin Varghese, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Aug. 2025
The increase in family members acting as unskilled caregivers could become more pronounced in the coming years not only because of budget cuts, but also due to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, according to experts.
—Marina E. Franco, NBC news, 31 July 2025
From 1840 to 1900, the real wages of skilled and unskilled builder craftsmen rose by 113 percent and 124 percent, respectively.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
And for more unskilled groups, such as those with less than a high school diploma, the rate of participation stands at below 50 percent and has for quite some time.
—Robin Varghese, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
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Jokic didn’t overtake Jamal Murray as Denver’s leading scorer until their seventh game of the season, after a 33-point performance Wednesday against a Miami Heat frontcourt that was woefully undersized and inexperienced the instant Bam Adebayo exited with a foot injury.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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Henderson has struggled in that role as a rookie, and Jennings is inexperienced at the pro level.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Under California law, people who are found incompetent to stand trial must be sent to a state hospital or secure mental health care facility.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
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He was found to be incompetent to face the charge in August 2023, and later civilly committed for a mental illness.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Elsewhere, Chalamet and Okonma’s characters try their hand at sports gambling, cleaning up cash in an amateur tournament thanks to Marty’s talents.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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The competition among amateur teenagers was ruthless.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Miyares referenced a Richmond Times-Dispatch report of a Virginia trooper clocking Jones at 116 miles per hour, framing him as unfit to enforce the law.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Bush and Quayle team won the 1988 election, but the impression of Quayle as unfit for the job remained a drag on Bush’s reputation.—
Time,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
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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
Adjective
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While always a much better option than the Republicans, the Democrats are a broken party incapable of offering the type of resistance this era calls for.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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Either way, he’s proven incapable of leading the fight to prevent health care premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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