1
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
an inexpert attempt at putting on an outdoor concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
the inexpert mechanic only made the problem worse—and charged me a fortune for doing it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
well-meaning but inexpert expressions of sympathy from friends after the funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in amateur
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science
the shoddy tiling in the bathroom was a sure sign that it was the work of an inexpert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inexpert
Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 July 2025
The procedure is not without risk: The mortality rate from tellurium injections is 12 percent, and can rise as high as 68 percent for children when the work is performed by an inexpert hand.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2022
Despite the exhibition’s dynamism and appreciated efforts to frame each work for the viewer, the accompanying wall text and political readings felt thin and inexpert at times.
—Dallas News, 6 May 2022
That’s not surprising: Conspiracy theorists often aim to ply the inexpert masses with plausible-sounding but inaccurate legalisms in order to sow confusion.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
The evening was a simple, completely inexpert exercise in apolitical comity.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 June 2021
Adjective
Ariel Neuman, the lead attorney representing Tesla, vigorously objected to Rosario’s testimony, deeming it inexpert and irrelevant.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 July 2025
The procedure is not without risk: The mortality rate from tellurium injections is 12 percent, and can rise as high as 68 percent for children when the work is performed by an inexpert hand.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2022
Despite the exhibition’s dynamism and appreciated efforts to frame each work for the viewer, the accompanying wall text and political readings felt thin and inexpert at times.
—Dallas News, 6 May 2022
That’s not surprising: Conspiracy theorists often aim to ply the inexpert masses with plausible-sounding but inaccurate legalisms in order to sow confusion.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021
The evening was a simple, completely inexpert exercise in apolitical comity.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 6 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inexpert
Adjective
-
The team overachieved this season partly because Mazzulla turned an inexperienced supporting cast into a strength.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Short selling can be an intellectually demanding approach to the market, and many inexperienced traders fall into a trap, lured by overvaluation and hype.—
David Capablanca,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Last month, Rodriguez-Singh was found incompetent to stand trial on a capital murder charge in her son’s death, and she will be sent to a state mental health facility until her competency is restored.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2026
-
She is set to appear June 2 in the same courtroom where a judge recently found that a man accused of stalking Jennifer Aniston was incompetent to stand trial.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Although at least 20 players support some type of protest, the rollout of the boycott that never happened, came across a bit clumsy.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
For one, the Frenchie vision is just corny and clumsy, and so is the idea of Kimiko harnessing the power of love to defeat the bad guy without succumbing to vengeful rage.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Each one works against the increase in value as the pros crush the over-exuberance, as represented by fat premiums that the amateurs create.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
O'Keefe, the low amateur at The Chevron Championship last month in the first LPGA major of the year, made only two pars along the back nine at La Costa Resort.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
Paxton, meanwhile, has sought to cast Cornyn as a creature of the Washington establishment, while Cornyn has attacked Paxton as unfit for office, pointing to his years of legal and political controversy, including his 2023 impeachment by the Texas House.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps that is down to the 28-year-old’s awkward gait on the bike, all elbows and knees, not unlike Chris Froome, while his time trialling aerodynamics leave a lot to be desired.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
More comics journalism from Life Kit Still cringing about that awkward moment?—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Lowering the barrier for beginners A major focus of the CraftLab Generators is accessibility.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 May 2026
-
Who Shouldn’t Try 4-7-8 Breathing Without Checking First The 7-second breath hold can feel uncomfortable for beginners or anyone with limited lung capacity.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
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
Cite this Entry
“Inexpert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inexpert. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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