as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
an incompetent carpenter had built the deck, and the railings were loose already
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incompetent
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
This saga is almost a perfect encapsulation of the administration, which somehow manages to be both malevolent and incompetent, highly disorganized while still doing a lot of damage.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Justifying DÃaz-Canel’s removal, a figure long despised among Cubans on the island, might not be that difficult, given Havana’s long history in getting rid of members of the government deemed disloyal, corrupt or incompetent.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Adjective
And then fraud, which, looking back, was inevitable given our shattered and incompetent leadership.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
This saga is almost a perfect encapsulation of the administration, which somehow manages to be both malevolent and incompetent, highly disorganized while still doing a lot of damage.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Justifying DÃaz-Canel’s removal, a figure long despised among Cubans on the island, might not be that difficult, given Havana’s long history in getting rid of members of the government deemed disloyal, corrupt or incompetent.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetent
Adjective
-
The National Construction Authority found that 58% of the buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
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,
6 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
-
This definition also includes instance in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (include due to the influence of drugs or alcohol) or because of age.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
-
One involves continuing to attack Iran’s weapons stockpiles and production facilities to render the Islamic Republic incapable of threatening its neighbors for a long time to come.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The new Doral restaurant is slated to open in the next month or so, while the brand’s first butcher shop, next to the busy Little Havana restaurant, is scheduled to open sometime later this year.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Constructed in 1884, the main building of the hotel was originally a butcher's home and still retains tons of Old Florida charm.—
Teaghan Skulszki,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For more instant gratification, grab a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon or the end of a rolling pin).—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incompetent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetent. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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