unfit

American  

[uhn-fit] / ʌnˈfɪt /

adjective

1. not fit; not adapted or suited; unsuitable.

   He was unfit for his office.

   Synonyms:

   unapt, inappropriate

2. unqualified or incompetent.

   Synonyms:

   incapable

3. not physically fit or in due condition.

4. 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.

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verb (used with object)

1. to render unfit or unsuitable; disqualify.

unfit British  

/ ʌnˈfɪt /

adjective

1. unqualified, incapable, or incompetent

   unfit for military service

2. unsuitable or inappropriate

   the ground was unfit for football

3. in poor physical condition

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Other Word Forms

• unfitness noun

Etymology

Origin of unfit

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ¹ + fit ¹

Example Sentences

Judges have rejected arguments that the 80-year-old, who was arrested in March last year and transferred to the Netherlands the same day, was unfit to stand trial.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

Aberdeen announced the Pittodrie pitch had been deemed unfit for play at 16:23 GMT.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

Infantry units are full of older men unfit for arduous combat missions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

And in years past, senior police officials have publicly suggested he was an unfit parent for bringing his young son to Police Commission meetings.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

“She was deemed an unfit mother, in spite of the fact that she goes to the gym every day,” Hal once told me.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• ill-equipped
• impotent
• inadequate
• incapable
• ineligible
• unable
• unprepared
• unqualified
• useless