Synonyms for inept
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Incompetent — unfit; unsuitable
incompetent, inapt, clumsy, ineffective, unfit, inappropriate, useless, bad, awkward, unsuitable, unskilled, uncouth, unhappy, improper, ill-chosen, cumbersome, inapposite, maladroit, infelicitous, unapt, lummoxy, bungling
Definitions
- adj. 1
Unfit; unsuitable.
- adj. 2
Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence.
As a waiter, he was inept, so they put him in the kitchen.
Related words
- Word family
- ineptitude ineptly ineptness
Example sentences
- ineffective Washing your hands without soap is ineffective work.
- incompetent Incompetent people are the ones who talk the most.
- clumsy Her movements were awkward and her gesture clumsy.
- silly Tom gets confused and says silly things sometimes.
- feckless She discombobulated me with her feckless laughter.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inept | steady | |
| ineffective | steady | |
| incompetent | falling | |
| clumsy | rising | |
| inapt | steady | |
| silly | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 4 letters
- weak1
- 5 letters
- silly2, unfit2, inapt, unapt
- 6 letters
- stupid2, clumsy2
- 7 letters
- awkward2, useless2, unhappy3, foolish2, uncouth2, witless2, duffing, lummoxy
- 8 letters
- improper3, feckless2, bungling3, tactless2
- 9 letters
- senseless2, unskilled2, maladroit3
- 10 letters
- unsuitable4, cumbersome3, inapposite
- 11 letters
- ineffective4, incompetent4, nonsensical4
- 12 letters
- infelicitous
- 13 letters
- inappropriate5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (silly2 = 2 syllables).