unskillful

adjective

ˌən-ˈskil-fəl How to pronounce unskillful (audio)
Definition of unskillfulnext
1
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job an unskillful editor can be worse than none at all

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill some painfully unskillful playing by the band's guitarist

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unskillful It was intended to be a mockery of the way White people danced, though plantation owners often interpreted slaves' movements as unskillful attempts to be like them. — Scottie Andrew and Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 July 2020 One of the most fraught issues around suicide clusters is unskillful media coverage, which studies suggest can spur copycats. — Kate Siber, Outside Online, 4 Sep. 2018 As is often the case, Louie was unlucky — and also unskillful. — Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskillful
  1. incompetent
  2. inexperienced
  3. unfit
  4. amateur
  5. unfitted
  6. unskilled
  7. incapable
Adjective
  • Keeping track of scheming or incompetent subordinates has always been the autocrat’s chief burden.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • So incompetent were campus security officers, that even though Jane Doe told them she was raped, in a six-page summary sent to the local district attorney the rape was not even mentioned.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Adjective
  • The problem of absent or inexperienced ambassadors goes both ways.
    — Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials are urging anyone spending time near the water to use a life jacket, especially children and inexperienced swimmers.
    — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • Besides rest, a driver should completely give over the keys if they are inebriated or otherwise unfit to drive.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • They were accused of organizing the crossing of a small boat that was unfit for navigation on the open sea, was overloaded and lacked appropriate life jackets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfit
Adjective
  • The hot mic saw to it that Rodgers' message to McCarthy was loud and clear and any amateur lip reader could also clearly decipher the head coach's response to his quarterback who spent 13 seasons with him in Green Bay.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • West, founded in 1908, spent much of its first century yo-yoing up and down the standings of amateur leagues on anonymous fields around south Manchester.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of amateur
Adjective
  • Here, Rodel shares how to make the unfitted kitchen trend your own, one statement-worthy piece at a time.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2025
  • The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.
    — Daniel Akst, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022
Definition of unfitted
Adjective
  • Persona did not see economic viability in the unskilled labor approach, Radford says.
    — Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The jobs were broken down into around 200 management roles, 67 office or clerical roles, 67 professional, 534 skilled and 133 unskilled.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of unskilled
Adjective
  • Making a personnel change doesn’t mean the individual is incapable or without value.
    — Michael Londgren, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And Rovell quickly discovered Kobe’s mind was incapable of idling, even during dead-of-night text exchanges.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of incapable

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Cite this Entry

“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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