as in amateur
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
that's an amateurish wallpapering job—the pattern doesn't match at the seams
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Recent Examples of amateurish
At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.
—
Tom Schoenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
But his manipulation skills are amateurish at best, and the fact that almost all of his plans go off without a hitch is pretty far-fetched.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Those kinds of records—Talulah Gosh and Beat Happening—tended to the lo-fi and amateurish as a point of pride.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Bannon, for his part, slammed Kennedy's effectiveness as health secretary, calling his efforts to implement an anti-vaccine agenda unserious and amateurish.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
People who understand the process of diplomacy think that this is very amateurish and is unlikely to yield real results that are enforceable.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
The looks are nearly all amateurish and awkward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Tom Schoenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
But his manipulation skills are amateurish at best, and the fact that almost all of his plans go off without a hitch is pretty far-fetched.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Those kinds of records—Talulah Gosh and Beat Happening—tended to the lo-fi and amateurish as a point of pride.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Bannon, for his part, slammed Kennedy's effectiveness as health secretary, calling his efforts to implement an anti-vaccine agenda unserious and amateurish.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
People who understand the process of diplomacy think that this is very amateurish and is unlikely to yield real results that are enforceable.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
The looks are nearly all amateurish and awkward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amateurish
Adjective
-
From 2018 to 2023, the club selected 20 players in the top 120 picks of the respective amateur drafts; the highlights include pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, and position players Josh Jung, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Pro-am tournaments pair up professional and amateur golfers.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
All of Quigley’s challengers are politically inexperienced but impassioned Democrats running to the incumbent’s left.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The most common complaints include denying legitimate claims, partnering with inexperienced and unqualified service providers, poor service, and slow response times.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That does not mean individual employees are necessarily unprofessional or malicious.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amateurish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amateurish. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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