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. )

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

He also cited limitations, including potentially ill-fitting rings, a relatively small sample size of 45 participants and older hardware and software.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 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

Instead, gazing back at me was a 44-year-old mom in an ill-fitting fleece, the style just as unflattering as it was all those years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

For an hour he'd been little more than a keen if ill-fitting presence in the Celtic attack.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026

He used his Yiddish like a secondhand suit, something worn at the elbows, ill-fitting, and a touch unpleasant.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• annoying
• awkward
• bitter
• difficult
• distressing
• hard
• harsh
• troublesome