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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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
-
Long Bright River, whose eight-episode season will stream in full on March 13, is neither a transcendent nor an incompetent example of this type of show.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Of course, people love making memes that portray their political adversaries as hapless and incompetent.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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These individuals—who meet all military requirements, are deployed worldwide, and serve with distinction—are now labeled unfit based on a characteristic that has nothing to do with their abilities or performance.—
Carlos Del Toro,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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When the Gulf War broke out in 1990, many staffers resisted covering it at all, deeming it a jingoistic exercise unfit for media participation.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In reference to Table 1, TRINA 1.0 was able to perform telemedicine and unskilled physical tasks.—
Kris Hauser,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 May 2020
-
Consecutive droughts in recent years have devastated livestock populations, forcing hundreds of thousands of herders to give up their traditional lifestyles and move, as unskilled workers, to sprawling towns.—
Mohamed Adow,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Apr. 2020
Adjective
-
In those moments, the human element that leaders bring to the table—sometimes referred to as their gut instinct—provides guidance that data is incapable of delivering.—
Anar Mammadov,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The type of flexible thinking that Maresca and his dogma is totally incapable of.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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