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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.

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

En route to self-discovery, she picks up Caan’s Kilgannon, a sweet, guileless, brain-damaged former player whose tragically inapt nickname is Killer.

From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2022

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

From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2020

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

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

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