1
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
a well-meaning but inept assistant who can't seem to keep appointments straight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an inept comparison between nursing-home residents and day-care children that many found offensive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
an inept effort to become friends with their future son-in-law
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
she offers one inept suggestion after another for saving the parish church
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inept
How to explain the rise of so many inept and unprincipled people?
Easy.
—
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Locals were disgusted with city leadership’s inept handling of the crisis.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Then, an inept psychic (Vanessa Bayer) meddles in the family affair, with a supernatural shift causing Anna and Tess to swap bodies and souls with Harper and Lily.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The Bruins were inept in key areas (running game, Red Zone conversions, scoring), leading Foster to fire Eric Bieniemy and take his chances with Sunseri, who worked for Indiana’s Curt Cignetti but has not been a full-time playcaller.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Locals were disgusted with city leadership’s inept handling of the crisis.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Then, an inept psychic (Vanessa Bayer) meddles in the family affair, with a supernatural shift causing Anna and Tess to swap bodies and souls with Harper and Lily.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The Bruins were inept in key areas (running game, Red Zone conversions, scoring), leading Foster to fire Eric Bieniemy and take his chances with Sunseri, who worked for Indiana’s Curt Cignetti but has not been a full-time playcaller.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inept
Adjective
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Sanders says that rather than quitting, Underwood was fired for being an incompetent employee.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The man was charged with multiple felony charges but found incompetent to stand trial.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Charile Kirk championed peoples' right to speech others may find inappropriate.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Corpus is also accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with her former chief of staff Victor Aenlle, who was fired by the board of supervisors last year.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the afterglow of the finale, outlets hit publish on SEO-bait around who did what, and clumsy think pieces like this one followed.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
-
His paranoia, played with clumsy charm by a mustachioed and bleary-eyed Leonardo DiCaprio, is half-cocked and somewhat comical.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jimmy Kimmel said something stupid and should apologize.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Yeah, stupid s--- like this apparently is gonna keep happening for the next three years.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And every year, a vast quantity is thrown away as unfit to eat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Lee would sometimes visit Anderson at the Highland Chateau health and rehabilitation center in Highland Park, where she had been relocated with some objection after her Surrey Avenue property was deemed unfit for human habitation.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The concern expressed is that people are turning to AI for mental health advice and do not realize that (presumably) AI is unsuitable for that purpose.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The drastic drop in performance from the 2022 season points to the idea that the current generation of cars is unsuitable for the Briton.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
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This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pattern of blaming star players, whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford, is looking foolish, and the side has plummeted in form.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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That’s penny wise, not pour foolish.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inept. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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