1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

unskillful

adjective

ˌən-ˈskil-fəl How to pronounce unskillful (audio)
Definition of unskillfulnext
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 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
  1. incompetent
  2. inexperienced
  3. unfit
  4. amateur
  5. unfitted
  6. unskilled
  7. incapable
Adjective
  • Excuses are tools of the incompetent and only build monuments to nothingness.
    — Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Trial delayed over Scott’s competency The trial has been delayed multiple times after Scott was found incompetent to stand trial.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Adjective
  • Key officers fell mortally wounded, and the inexperienced Americans might easily have broken again.
    — Harry Ostrer, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As is often the case with inexperienced players, their performance has been a mixed bag.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • At the Premier League’s semi-regular meetings between heads of recruitment some have argued that the five-step process is outdated and unfit for purpose.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But in Meriwether’s hands, the show became a propulsive exploration of both women’s trauma and the misogynistic criminal justice system that’s unfit to deal with it.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfit
Adjective
  • John grew up in nearby Saltburn, played in the amateur leagues and left to find work in 1990.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • According to Merrick, the former dressage official, a peculiarly high percentage of relatively advanced amateur riders believe, firmly and falsely, that Olympic competition is a real possibility.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of amateur
Adjective
  • Here, Rodel shares how to make the unfitted kitchen trend your own, one statement-worthy piece at a time.
    — 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
Definition of unfitted
Adjective
  • Persona did not see economic viability in the unskilled labor approach, Radford says.
    — Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The jobs were broken down into around 200 management roles, 67 office or clerical roles, 67 professional, 534 skilled and 133 unskilled.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of unskilled
Adjective
  • At her job, Sofia meets a young, up-and-coming American author (Patrick Schwarzenegger) who seems incapable of answering any question without giving her a long, piercing look first.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For all his disparate pursuits, Elsesser revels in the small details, incapable of giving anything less than total dedication.
    — Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of incapable

Browse Nearby Words

unskilled
unskillful
unskillfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All