unfit
Americanadjective
-
not fit; not adapted or suited; unsuitable.
He was unfit for his office.
- Synonyms:
- unapt, inappropriate
-
unqualified or incompetent.
- Synonyms:
- incapable
-
not physically fit or in due condition.
-
Biology. pertaining to an organism or population that is not adapted to prevailing conditions or is not producing offspring in sufficient numbers to maintain its contribution to the gene pool of the next generation.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
unqualified, incapable, or incompetent
unfit for military service
-
unsuitable or inappropriate
the ground was unfit for football
-
in poor physical condition
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unfit
Explanation
If someone is unfit, they're not qualified. You're unfit for a job as an ice cream truck driver if your only driving experience has been steering a bumper car at an amusement park. Farmland can be described as unfit for planting if it's been leached of nutrients, and a babysitter might be accused of being unfit if he gets distracted and loses track of his charges on the playground. In either case, the unfit thing or person doesn't meet the necessary requirements or standards. Another way to be unfit is to be out of shape or in poor physical condition. Fit can mean both "suitable" and "in good shape."
Vocabulary lists containing unfit
Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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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.
The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the MP Dame Emily Thornberry, said there were "still unanswered questions as to how someone so clearly unfit was appointed British Ambassador to the United States".
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
In recent interviews, Cornyn said he would not campaign nor raise money for Paxton and stands by his sharp criticisms of the attorney general from the primary as corrupt and unfit for office.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
After he was declared unfit to serve in the military due to a lung issue, he went on to play clarinet and saxophone in a band.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Lady Donaldson faces a trial of the facts after she was previously deemed unfit to face a conventional trial on mental health grounds, and is therefore not participating in proceedings.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
You are unfit, but you want the best for her.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
