1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inelegant
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
But this didn’t change the fact of the previous incorrect and inelegant sentence.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the most common mineral filters, are notoriously finicky ingredients—the thick white powders are cosmetically inelegant and prone to leaving white casts, particularly on deeper skin tones.
—Dani Hardman, Allure, 15 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
But this didn’t change the fact of the previous incorrect and inelegant sentence.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the most common mineral filters, are notoriously finicky ingredients—the thick white powders are cosmetically inelegant and prone to leaving white casts, particularly on deeper skin tones.
—Dani Hardman, Allure, 15 Sep. 2025
To some, camels are slow, even inelegant.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inelegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inelegant
Adjective
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Vinod brought the long view and the uncomfortable predictions.—
Brian Solis,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Say goodbye to uncomfortable underwear that digs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Others, however, said naming the animal after the president was inappropriate.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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Enforcement of inappropriate corner crossing will continue to be difficult for FWP, but Callaghan notes that enforcement is only one part of the relationship balance that FWP Director Clark noted between private property rights and public-access rights.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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But a clumsy tackle and a penalty shootout later, and Arsenal left Budapest with nothing.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Once in the water, where crocodiles have the home-ground advantage, large mammals become clumsy, oxygen-limited and vulnerable to rotational forces they are poorly equipped to resist.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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But according to an opinion from the Florida Attorney General’s Office, the city’s position is incorrect.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
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Some readers may disagree with our analysis, and of course there are many decisions that the KMI panel deemed correct or incorrect that fans from all teams will dispute.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Indeed, a dying wish and a cryptic clue lead the unlikely duo on a journey full of twists and turns, bad choices, awkward conversations, lies, fights, mystery, betrayal, and a dangerous killer.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
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Stakeholder facilitation and consensus-building bridge communication gaps and ease awkward conversations about one’s own compensation.—
Jim Hebets,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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The trend was further compounded in koalas with chlamydiosis -- a common bacterial disease among the species -- and those found in unsuitable conditions, Mella said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Until these vexing unknowns are figured out, AI for mental health will be in an uneasy position and subject to strident criticisms and concerns.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Other Western media outlets, meanwhile, are growing more uneasy about what possible interviews with Lai could mean for their presence in China, The Associated Press reported.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2026
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In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Novak stars as the unfashionable businessman Jay Ravitz.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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