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
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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
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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
One of the most fraught issues around suicide clusters is unskillful media coverage, which studies suggest can spur copycats.
—Kate Siber, Outside Online, 4 Sep. 2018
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
One of the most fraught issues around suicide clusters is unskillful media coverage, which studies suggest can spur copycats.
—Kate Siber, Outside Online, 4 Sep. 2018
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
-
Like the poliziotteschi films of Fernando Di Leo (1932-2003), Portobello takes us to a country where the police, at best, are incompetent, and the criminal underworld has its tentacles in all walks of life.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Because of the differences they are labeled as evil, incompetent, corrupt or some other trumped up charge such as antisemitic.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The officer said the review was needed because an inexperienced employee handled James’ initial vetting.—
Gisela Salomon,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In the book, Krakauer is critical of the guiding companies for leading inexperienced climbers up the mountain despite the extreme dangers.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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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,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, waiting until just before the candidate filing deadline is more amateur than a Little League game.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Friends from the amateur mixed martial arts community, including those at the gym where Munoz-Pederson had spent six evenings a week for the last six years, knew him as a lovable and helpful teammate, as well as a vigorous fighter few wanted to face across the ring.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the women faced with that pool of socially unskilled men have largely been overlooked.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Complex negotiations in large organizations often fail—not because the negotiators are inexperienced or unskilled but because they’re constrained by two structural challenges, agency and alignment, and by the ways organizations manage those challenges.—
Danny Ertel,
Harvard Business Review,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
This condensation can freeze and block the flow of fuel, rendering your car incapable of starting.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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