inelegant

American  

[in-el-i-guhnt] / ɪnˈɛl ɪ gənt /

adjective

1. not elegant; lacking in refinement, gracefulness, or good taste.

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inelegant British  

/ ɪnˈɛlɪɡənt /

adjective

1. lacking in elegance or refinement; unpolished or graceless

2. coarse or crude

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Other Word Forms

• inelegance noun
• inelegantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of inelegant

First recorded in 1500–10, inelegant is from the Latin word inēlegant- (stem of inēlegāns ). See in- ³, elegant

Explanation

Something that's inelegant isn't polished or cultured, but instead is awkward, rude, or ungraceful. Your loud footsteps clomping down the hall of a palace as you race to meet the Queen are inelegant. Your inelegant tap dance probably won't win first prize in the school talent show, and your brother's inelegant behavior might get him thrown out of an extremely formal party. In both cases, the required amount of grace just isn't present — in your brother's case, it might be his inelegant laughter or his inelegant clothing that cause him trouble. The Latin root, inelegantem, means "without taste" or "without judgment."

Example Sentences

As designed by David Rockwell, it’s sumptuously drenched in Art Deco, a pristinely elegant background in amusing contrast to the farcically inelegant events that take place in it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The victory was inelegant, but this wasn’t about style.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2025

Shock can be great even when done for shock’s sake, but when it’s clumsily smashed against an otherwise serious story, both elements are weakened by the awkward, inelegant force at which they collide.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2025

In a single-star review, the Guardian's Benjamin Lee called the film "as dumb and schlocky as the worst of the genre, with lousy network TV effects, uninvolving action and unfunny and inelegant dialogue".

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2024

Then she flies past the rows of gangly bird of paradise, past the pawpaw tree with ripening fruit, and loses a sandal taking the three front steps in an inelegant leap.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García