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
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
In contrast, the EB-3 category is designed for skilled workers with at least two years of experience, professionals with a bachelor's degree, and other workers in unskilled positions requiring less than two years of training.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
On its website, Austin Disaster Relief Network posts daily needs, from call-center operators and coordinators to skilled and unskilled labor for demolition.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 13 July 2025
These losses are expected to be concentrated among unskilled segments of the labor force.
—Robin Varghese, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
In contrast, the EB-3 category is designed for skilled workers with at least two years of experience, professionals with a bachelor's degree, and other workers in unskilled positions requiring less than two years of training.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
On its website, Austin Disaster Relief Network posts daily needs, from call-center operators and coordinators to skilled and unskilled labor for demolition.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 13 July 2025
These losses are expected to be concentrated among unskilled segments of the labor force.
—Robin Varghese, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
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But their pitchers exploited enough batters on an inexperienced team that is now two losses from 100 for the season, and the Padres held on for a 3-2 victory over the White Sox on Sunday.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Sep. 2025
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Founders are often too eager to scale, or too inexperienced to evaluate talent, and the financial hit isn’t felt immediately.—
Anuradha Gupta,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Although Beijing has outcompeted Washington in Myanmar up to this point, the junta’s woefully incompetent management of its currency and foreign reserves presents an opportunity for the United States to recalibrate its approach to the country.—
Dan Swift,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Sep. 2025
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California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit!—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even now, at age 48, Preller remains an unusually competitive amateur hooper.—
Brittany Ghiroli,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Lillard played Shaggy, one of the amateur detectives who leads alongside the titular talking dog.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Gostisbehere, Carolina’s best offensive defenseman, being unfit for the top four adds to that pressure.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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He was deemed unfit to stand trial, and spent the next 11 years in psychiatric hospitals.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 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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Jets history includes countless examples of defencemen who posted great numbers on the third pair but proved incapable of handling top-four competition.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Apparently incapable of not making a bad situation worse, Arthur accuses Olivia of being lonely for Rafferty, not for him.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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