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inapt

American  
[in-apt] / ɪnˈæpt /

adjective

  1. not apt or fitting.

    Synonyms:
    inapposite, unfit, inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited
    Antonyms:
    appropriate
  2. without aptitude or capacity.

    Synonyms:
    awkward, clumsy, incapable
    Antonyms:
    capable

inapt British  
/ ɪnˈæpt /

adjective

  1. not apt or fitting; inappropriate

  2. lacking skill; inept

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of inapt

First recorded in 1735–45; in- 3 + apt

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.

See Examples For:

This renders Mr. Bacon’s subtitle inapt: “The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has been told and retold by authors and bards.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 3, 2025

That’s a dated but not altogether inapt reference.

From Washington Post Aug. 5, 2022

Her vacant voice and immobile expression augment the surprise effect of her inapt citations.

From The Guardian Aug. 23, 2020

Justice Kagan responded that the analogy to Illinois and other states was inapt.

From New York Times Jun. 27, 2018

It means "terrible lizard" and was a curiously inapt name.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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