ill-fitting

American  

[il-fit-ing] / ˈɪlˈfɪt ɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a garment) not fitting well.

2. not appropriate or suitable.

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Etymology

Origin of ill-fitting

First recorded in 1865–70; ill ( def. ) + fitting ( def. )

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Explanation

Clothes that are ill-fitting are too big or too small — or maybe too big in some places, and too small in others. Your ill-fitting pants may require a belt to keep them from falling down. An ill-fitting dress might be too short and too tight in the arms, and an ill-fitting suit might be big enough to fit two of you. When something fits, it's the proper size and shape for your body, and when it doesn't fit, it's ill-fitting. This adjective combines ill-, "badly" or "not well," with fitting, from the verb fit, "be fitting or proper" and "be the right shape."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ill-fitting

Sure, he could pick up similar products at the local retailer, but they can be flimsy and ill-fitting, says Ginther, 32.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Coming home without that unused tortilla press or those ill-fitting shorts does provide a certain sense of satisfaction.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

Wearing an ill-fitting hooded sweatshirt, with gray stubbles and baggy eyes, he didn’t look like a typical upscale tourist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

Through this, you can create your own career check list, and avoid wasting time on ill-fitting applications.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026

Sometimes Ifemelu imagined him in a classroom in the fifties, an overzealous colonial subject wearing an ill-fitting school uniform of cheap cotton, jostling to impress his missionary teachers.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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