ill-fitting
Americanadjective
-
(of a garment) not fitting well.
-
not appropriate or suitable.
Etymology
Origin of ill-fitting
First recorded in 1865–70; ill ( def. ) + fitting ( def. )
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coming home without that unused tortilla press or those ill-fitting shorts does provide a certain sense of satisfaction.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
They were an odd pair: The middle-aged man, wearing a wool overcoat and what looked like an ill-fitting gray toupee, barely spoke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
There were men in leather jackets, women in bedazzled red hats, young guys in ill-fitting suits.
From Slate ● Dec. 8, 2025
John Williams, who co-ordinates the girls' teams, said they had educated players about how an ill-fitting sports bra can create an imbalance when running and cause injury.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
She was no more than twelve or thirteen, dressed in rough calico with ill-fitting boots.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
