inelegance

noun

in·​el·​e·​gance (ˌ)i-ˈne-li-gən(t)s How to pronounce inelegance (audio)
: lack of elegance

Examples of inelegance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are blatantly far-fetched thrillers, brilliant ones, that haunt us for decades in spite of their narrative inelegance or the quality of their gotchas. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 Sep. 2022 Keeping the battery charged avoids this morsel of powertrain inelegance. Derek Powell, Car and Driver, 19 Jan. 2022 There’s a glimmer of maturity not totally obfuscated by some of the film’s inelegance, as Pat considers how much about gayness and queerness has changed in the micro and macro on his journey into the past. Mark Olsen Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2021 The Sombor Shuffle is a perfect example of innovation disguised by inelegance. Ben Cohen, WSJ, 25 Sep. 2020 To pay close attention to the news is to trap oneself in a daily cycle of outrage, self-righteousness, a pained recognition of the inelegance of that self-righteousness, and, finally, a feeling of futility. Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2017 There is a kind of intentional inelegance, a stubborn awkwardness to Lynch’s work, something akin to outsider art, that keeps it from ever seeming glib,soulless or less than felt. Robert Lloyd, latimes.com, 30 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inelegance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inelegance was in 1726

Dictionary Entries Near inelegance

Cite this Entry

“Inelegance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inelegance. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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