unfit

[ uhn-fit ]

/ ʌnˈfɪt /

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See synonyms for: unfit / unfits / unfitted / unfitting on Thesaurus.com

Definition of unfit

adjective

not fit; not adapted or suited; unsuitable: He was unfit for his office.

unqualified or incompetent.

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)

to render unfit or unsuitable; disqualify.

OTHER WORDS FOR unfit

1 inappropriate, unapt.

2 incapable.

See synonyms for unfit on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of unfit

First recorded in 1535–45; un-¹ + fit¹

OTHER WORDS FROM unfit

un·fit·ness, noun

Words nearby unfit

unfilial, unfilled, unfiltered, unfindable, unfinished, unfit, unfitted, unfix, unflagging, unflappable, unflapped

How to use unfit in a sentence

They’ve also mounted their own effort to remove board Chair Juanita Miller, who they say is unfit to lead and ignited the controversy in the first place.
Error-riddled ethics reports on school board create political firestorm in Prince George’s County|Rachel Chason, Donna St. George|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
Ben Ali, the prime minister in 1987, himself had assumed the presidency by getting doctors to declare then-President Habib Bourguiba medically unfit to rule.
Butterfly Effect: Death of a Democratic Dream?|Charu Kasturi|July 28, 2021|Ozy
Menstruation in 19th-century England was referred to as being “unwell,” and women were thought to be unfit for work, exercise, social activities or intellectual effort during the week or so each month that a period lasted.
How medicine sought to control women’s bodies while ignoring their symptoms|Susan Okie|July 2, 2021|Washington Post
When his parents divorced, his dad gained custody and his mom was legally declared unfit to parent as she turned to alcohol while struggling with anxiety and depression.
Amid the pandemic, people crave connection. The ‘Internet’s Dad’ provides it.|Josh Paunil|June 17, 2021|Washington Post

He is “unfit to continue in his current role,” the statement said of Parros.
The Rangers reshuffled their front office after being eliminated from NHL postseason play|Des Bieler|May 5, 2021|Washington Post
Du Pont, 57, was initially declared “actively psychotic” and unfit for trial by a judge, and ordered to a psychiatric hospital.
Foxcatcher’s Real-Life Psycho Killer|Marlow Stern|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1971, the local council declared it unfit for living, and evicted the occupants.
The Isle Where the Rolling Stones Began|Nina Strochlic|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The panelists then proceed to screen out anyone they deem unfit for marriage.
Reality TV’s Arranged Marriage Fail|Emily Shire|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And really, how can anybody claim that a 25-year-old is unfit to become Miss America?
24 Is Not Too “Old” to Compete for Miss America|Erin Cunningham|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 1891 Immigration Act declared certain classes of individuals as unfit to become American citizens.
Ellis Island’s Doubled-Edged Legacy|J.P. O’Malley|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I always maintain that our women are of immense service to us, but many of them are physically unfit.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
To his other iniquities Black Sheep had now added a phenomenal clumsiness—was as unfit to trust in action as he was in word.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
But in the organic world there is no such thing as the "fit" or the "unfit," in any higher or moral sense.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
But today—after that terrible ordeal, she felt as if life held little for her, that she was now unfit to perform any womanly duty.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Never smoke when the pores are open: they absorb, and you are unfit for decent society.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for unfit

unfit

/ (ʌnˈfɪt) /

adjective

(postpositive often foll by for) unqualified, incapable, or incompetentunfit for military service

(postpositive often foll by for) unsuitable or inappropriatethe ground was unfit for football

in poor physical condition

Derived forms of unfit

unfitness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

unfit

Definition of unfit

OTHER WORDS FOR unfit

Origin of unfit

OTHER WORDS FROM unfit

Words nearby unfit

Words related to unfit

How to use unfit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unfit

Derived forms of unfit