inelegant
adjective
in·el·e·gant
(ˌ)i-ˈne-li-gənt 
: lacking in refinement, grace, or good taste
inelegantly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of inelegant in a Sentence
inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events
inelegant furniture that looked like it belonged in a budget motel
Recent Examples on the Web
As edited, these interruptions can be jarring and inelegant, but that seems true to the experience of trauma.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
And something about the disconnect between how far-reaching our thoughts and emotions and ideas can be within our heads, and yet we’re confined to these weird kind of fleshy things that go wrong and need maintaining in a messy and inelegant way.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
In this thoroughly elegant and subdued film, Mr. Tu’s mention of an enzyme that penetrates a cell — an evident illustration of how Shuo gained access to their home — may seem like the most inelegant note, until late in the story the one using pity to gain sympathy is someone else.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 22 Jan. 2024
The battery pack is probably the most inelegant element of what is an otherwise unblemished product.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 18 Jan. 2024
But, instead of smoothly exiting stage left, the President takes an inelegant nosedive.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2024
The biggest downside to this solution is that this is an inelegant fix for those who prefer slimmer cardholders.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
The need to meet safety standards for road use has also brought inelegant pillars for three-point seatbelts.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 17 Aug. 2023
The striking 19th-century Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes, which takes up an entire block in the Balvanera neighborhood, has an inelegant nickname — the Toilet Museum.
—Maria Cramer, New York Times, 18 May 2023
Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
And something about the disconnect between how far-reaching our thoughts and emotions and ideas can be within our heads, and yet we’re confined to these weird kind of fleshy things that go wrong and need maintaining in a messy and inelegant way.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
In this thoroughly elegant and subdued film, Mr. Tu’s mention of an enzyme that penetrates a cell — an evident illustration of how Shuo gained access to their home — may seem like the most inelegant note, until late in the story the one using pity to gain sympathy is someone else.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 22 Jan. 2024
The battery pack is probably the most inelegant element of what is an otherwise unblemished product.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 18 Jan. 2024
But, instead of smoothly exiting stage left, the President takes an inelegant nosedive.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2024
The biggest downside to this solution is that this is an inelegant fix for those who prefer slimmer cardholders.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
The need to meet safety standards for road use has also brought inelegant pillars for three-point seatbelts.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 17 Aug. 2023
The striking 19th-century Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes, which takes up an entire block in the Balvanera neighborhood, has an inelegant nickname — the Toilet Museum.
—Maria Cramer, New York Times, 18 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inelegant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near inelegant
Cite this Entry
“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inelegant. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inelegant
adjective
in·el·e·gant
(ˈ)in-ˈel-i-gənt
: lacking in grace or good taste
inelegantly
adverb
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