Synonyms of inelegant

inelegant

adjective

(ˌ)i-ˈne-li-gənt 

1

as in uncomfortable

lacking social grace and assurance

inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uncomfortable
• clumsy
• awkward
• uneasy
• ungraceful
• embarrassed
• gauche
• wooden
• stilted
• rustic
• stiff
• graceless
• timid
• rough-hewn
• ungainly
• upset
• angular
• nervous
• flustered
• disturbed
• gawky
• meek
• uncouth
• boorish
• unsettled
• clownish
• lubberly
• agitated
• discomfited
• abashed
• bothered
• distressed
• modest
• disconcerted
• self-conscious
• perturbed
• unassuming
• diffident
• nonplussed
• jumpy
• mortified
• unpretentious
• unassertive
• insecure
• chagrined
• discomforted
• disquieted
• discomposed
• dismayed
• jittery
• rattled
• unhinged
• discountenanced
• fazed
• self-doubting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• graceful
• suave
• urbane
• composed
• collected
• confident
• cool
• secure
• serene
• undisturbed
• calm
• unperturbed
• placid
• tranquil
• poised
• assured
• self-possessed
• self-assured
• self-confident

2

as in inappropriate

marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste

inelegant furniture that looked like it belonged in a budget motel

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inappropriate
• incorrect
• unsuitable
• unfashionable
• wrong
• tacky
• dowdy
• tasteless
• cheesy
• trashy
• cheap
• loud
• unstylish
• grotesque
• unseemly
• styleless
• ticky-tacky
• outmoded
• unbecoming
• graceless
• out-of-date
• crude
• coarse
• common
• tawdry
• vulgar
• shoddy
• unrefined
• gaudy
• showy
• ostentatious
• passé
• garish
• flashy
• inferior
• low-grade
• kitschy
• lousy
• sleazy
• glitzy
• second-rate
• splashy
• junky
• kitsch
• overdone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• elegant
• sophisticated
• appropriate
• fine
• exquisite
• fashionable
• stylish
• classic
• smart
• suitable
• classy
• posh
• tasteful
• proper
• chic
• correct
• simple
• fitting
• right
• becoming
• seemly
• neat
• conservative
• modern
• handsome
• quiet
• ritzy
• understated
• refined
• restrained
• genteel
• contemporary
• up-to-date
• in
• happening
• modish
• swank
• à la mode

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inelegant

This strikes me as an inelegant way to write Tommy off the show, if that’s indeed what’s happening. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026

Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

But its blunt, inelegant dialogue is peppered with characters (metaphorically) vomiting up their darkest secrets. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026

The traffic, bachelorette party buses and more inelegant tourists are far out of sight and view from up here. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026