amateurish

American  

[am-uh-choor-ish, -chur-, -tyoor-, -tur-] / ˌæm əˈtʃʊər ɪʃ, -ˈtʃɜr-, -ˈtyʊər-, -ˈtɜr- /

adjective

1. characteristic of an amateur, especially in having the faults or deficiencies of an amateur; inept.

   Though an enthusiastic violinist, he gave an amateurish performance.

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amateurish British  

/ ˈæmətərɪʃ, -ˌtʃʊər-, -tʃər-, ˌæməˈtɜːrɪʃ /

adjective

1. lacking professional skill or expertise

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quasi-amateurishly
  adverb
• pseudoamateurishly
  adverb
• quasi-amateurish
  adjective
• amateurishly
  adverb
• pseudoamateurish
  adjective
• amateurishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of amateurish

First recorded in 1860–65; amateur + -ish ¹

Explanation

Something that's amateurish is done by someone who's not an expert. Your amateurish attempt at baking might result in a lopsided pink cake, for example. If your handmade dress is amateurish, it won't look like you bought it in a department store. When a brand new teacher makes an amateurish try at getting his class's attention, he doesn't exactly sound like an authority figure. At the heart of amateurish is the noun amateur, or "beginner." The oldest meaning of amateur is "lover of something," from the Latin amatorem, "lover," although by the late 1700's it came to mean "dabbler," or not a professional.

Related Words

• incompetent
• inept