1
as in amateur
being such only for recreation
a toolshed that can be built by any jackleg carpenter who's capable of hitting a nail without smashing his thumb
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
he did such a jackleg installation of that door frame that now the door won't shut
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
a jackleg lawyer whose clients consist mainly of drug dealers and child molesters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in kid
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science
you can't rely on a bunch of jacklegs to run your dairy farm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jackleg
Adjective
-
This is Ganne's sixth time playing the ANWA, which already has become as prestigious as any amateur event in women's golf, mainly because of where the final round is played.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026 -
Dozens of amateur and professional photographers were invited to find beauty in the invisible world of force fields and subatomic particles, which blip into existence for fractions of a second and hold secrets about the origin and fate of the universe.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Steve Ponto said his daughter means well, but is inexperienced and especially passionate.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Messi went in as a halftime substitute in the 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27, a result against an inexperienced opponent that did not sit well with Scaloni.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Smuggling — sometimes by rope, sometimes with the help of corrupt jail guards — has long been a problem at the troubled federal jail, which has been plagued by violence, horrific conditions and severe staffing shortages for years.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
No corrupt leader enriching himself and the Epstein class buddies.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Watch this video for tips on finding age-appropriate books for kids.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The former Fortune 100 company marketing executive rescued a white rabbit that a family with kids no longer wanted.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But its conventional naval power looks severely degraded, while Western allies retain strong minesweeping capabilities that could be deployed to keep global trade flowing.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Drawing this degraded, sour crude is akin to pumping industrial poison through our midstream and downstream networks.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Apple GarageBand is a powerful, beginner-friendly free DAW for Mac that makes creating, recording, and learning music easy without sacrificing essential features.—
Jamie Lendino,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Contestants range from beginners to experienced builders, offering a cross-section of skill levels that reflect how cosplay develops over time.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Jackleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jackleg. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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