Synonyms for incompetent
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Inadequate — lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully
inadequate, inept, incapable, ineffective, inefficient, bad, unable, unfit, hopeless, impotent, inferior, unsuited, insufficient, unfitted, noncompetent, uncompetent, ineffectual, deficient, inable dated
2. Dysfunctional — opening too early during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
Near-synonyms: incapable, inable, unable
- adj. 2
Opening too early during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth.
Near-synonyms: dysfunctional, nonfunctioning
- adj. 3
Unable to make rational decisions; insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working.
Related words
- Word family
- incompetence incompetency
Choose the right word
Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a want of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting want of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- inadequate At times like this, words are woefully inadequate.
- incapable Young children are incapable of abstract thinking.
- ineffective Washing your hands without soap is ineffective work.
- inept They are a bunch of inept and aggressive cretins..
- unqualified Beth is unqualified for such a responsible post.
- unskilled He was very unskilled at his job, so the manager fired him.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| incompetent | falling | |
| inadequate | falling | |
| incapable | steady | |
| ineffective | steady | |
| inept | steady | |
| unqualified | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 5 letters
- unfit2, inept2
- 6 letters
- unable3, clumsy2, inable
- 8 letters
- inferior4, hopeless2, impotent3, unsuited3, bungling3, unfitted, annofore
- 9 letters
- incapable4, deficient3, unskilled2
- 10 letters
- inadequate4
- 11 letters
- ineffective4, inefficient4, unqualified4, ineffectual5, uncompetent
- 12 letters
- insufficient4, noncompetent
- 13 letters
- dysfunctional4, unworkmanlike
- 14 letters
- nonfunctioning
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (unfit2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- incompétent
- Italiano
- incompetente