1
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
an unskillful editor can be worse than none at all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
some painfully unskillful playing by the band's guitarist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unskillful
It was intended to be a mockery of the way White people danced, though plantation owners often interpreted slaves' movements as unskillful attempts to be like them.
—
Scottie Andrew and Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 July 2020
As is often the case, Louie was unlucky — and also unskillful.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2017
Scottie Andrew and Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 July 2020
As is often the case, Louie was unlucky — and also unskillful.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskillful
Adjective
-
But two recent reports from mental health professionals found that Rudd remains mentally incompetent, Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Heile said in court.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The man seemed to think he was surrounded by incompetent, unintelligent, wastes of space.—
Josh Davis,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
And every year, a vast quantity is thrown away as unfit to eat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Lee would sometimes visit Anderson at the Highland Chateau health and rehabilitation center in Highland Park, where she had been relocated with some objection after her Surrey Avenue property was deemed unfit for human habitation.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Thursday Murder Club is about amateur sleuths.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Denmark’s National Police Commissioner Thorkild Fogde told CNN Tuesday that these were not amateur or hobby drones, but rather large drones that likely had a capable operator.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
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
Adjective
-
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
-
For the unskilled makeup amateurs among us, the face-sculpting technique of contouring is a little too intimidating.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For decades, scientists believed the sleeping brain was essentially offline, incapable of forming new memories.—
Raghu Para,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Dallas’ defense is wholly incapable of stopping any opponent — so much so that team owner Jerry Jones had to sign veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney immediately after Sunday’s overtime shootout win against the Giants.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share