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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unskilled
The network also reported female health workers saying that their newer colleagues were likely to be unskilled women who came from Taliban-loyal families.
—
NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, the rest of the roster is too big and unskilled, a downstream consequence of buying into the fiction that Davis is a power forward.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Lane change issues, road debris or an unskilled driver are all quickly visible in the rear-view mirror with a tap on the accelerator.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
The outcome is not that the society remains in equilibrium, because the jobs being lost are the most routine and unskilled.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, the rest of the roster is too big and unskilled, a downstream consequence of buying into the fiction that Davis is a power forward.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Lane change issues, road debris or an unskilled driver are all quickly visible in the rear-view mirror with a tap on the accelerator.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
The outcome is not that the society remains in equilibrium, because the jobs being lost are the most routine and unskilled.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
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But Miami is using an inexperienced quarterback, who had struggled on every level of the game with the exception of spot playing time the past two years, to do so?—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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One year ago, Georgetown was deemed too small and too inexperienced – yet the Royals developed a hard-nosed defensive identity that led to their first state championship in program history.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And then fraud, which, looking back, was inevitable given our shattered and incompetent leadership.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
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The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Before Castro began preventing citizens from leaving the country, Cuba’s then-thriving professional leagues had already turned amateur, forcing top players such as Perez and Cárdenas to decide between pursuing their MLB careers or living a rewardless life as stars in Cuba.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
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However, thanks to the amateur astronomers who made journeys across the globe between October 2022 and March 2025 to witness 22 stellar occultations by the Didymos–Dimorphos system, Makadia and Chesley's team were able to calculate the change in the binary system's orbit around the sun.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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In October, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda found that Conner was mentally unfit to testify in person at trial and allowed the recorded testimony, even though defense attorneys will not be able to cross-examine him in front of the jury.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
24 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
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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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Defense attorneys for Copeland and Ucman told jurors their clients came from troubled upbringings that included abuse and bouts of homelessness, coupled with mental health issues that left them largely incapable of caring for themselves or a child.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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At that point, MRC was operating under the belief that Spacey would be incapable of appearing for the sixth season and announced his suspension the next day.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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