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

Coming home without that unused tortilla press or those ill-fitting shorts does provide a certain sense of satisfaction.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

Foden was tireless, but this was England's equivalent of an ill-fitting square peg in a round hole.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

There were men in leather jackets, women in bedazzled red hats, young guys in ill-fitting suits.

From Slate ● Dec. 8, 2025

They were a comically ill-fitting duo, but they nonetheless became inseparable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

The action opened in Watertown, which was painted upon old linens; General Washington stomped out from the wings, his jacket ill-fitting and crude.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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