inept
Americanadjective
-
without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit.
He is inept at mechanical tasks. She is inept at dealing with people.
- Synonyms:
- unskillful
- Antonyms:
- suited
-
generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent.
-
inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place.
-
absurd or foolish.
an inept remark.
adjective
-
awkward, clumsy, or incompetent
-
not suitable, appropriate, or fitting; out of place
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inept
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ineptus, equivalent to in- in- 3 + -eptus, combining form of aptus apt
Explanation
A clumsy, incompetent person — or an ineffective action — is inept. When you're inept, you don't know what you're doing or just can't get it done. Someone inept is bumbling, clueless, and ineffective. Inept people are dumb or clueless; they don't understand things. More than that, inept people are bad at what they do. An inept lawyer always loses cases. An inept figure skater wipes out on the ice. An inept postal worker loses mail and puts it in the wrong box. An inept person is downright bad at something. The opposite of inept is competent.
Vocabulary lists containing inept
Grade 10, List 1
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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.
Inept, humiliating, naive and reckless are just some of the words that have cropped up.
From BBC • Sep. 28, 2022
Inept at most human relationships, Byron has funneled all his emotional capacity into Hazel, out of both passion and the gamifying impulse to get the all-time high score on his marriage.
From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2021
Inept bus driver Percy Lamb has the task of driving stranded passengers to an unaffected airport when fog closes Heathrow.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2020
Inept at the plate as day turned to night, the Mets went 0 for 19 with runners in scoring position - a team record.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2013
Inept or disreputable companies have on more than one occasion failed to deliver crucial logistical support—oxygen, for instance—as promised.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
