1
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
an unskilled handling of the facial features in the portrait explains why it is attributed to "school of Velázquez" and not to the master himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
hired unskilled workers because they would work for lower wages
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unskilled
As funds grow larger, the combination of junior associates seeking a track record and unskilled entrepreneurs seeking more VC at earlier stages could lead to significant failures.
—
Dileep Rao, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Many of those jobs, though categorized as unskilled labor, require specialized training and physical stamina that is not readily available in the existing U.S. workforce.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
An oligarchic economy emerged in the region, centered on mining, oil extraction, and railroads, which, like the cotton economy of the South, depended on lots of capital and masses of unskilled workers.
—Heather Cox Richardson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
With a background in education, Westhoff and Masood came up with the idea of a hybrid, online and offline, academy that would train up unskilled workers - many of them migrants - who might otherwise be working in fast food outlets or for delivery firms.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Dileep Rao, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Many of those jobs, though categorized as unskilled labor, require specialized training and physical stamina that is not readily available in the existing U.S. workforce.
—Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
An oligarchic economy emerged in the region, centered on mining, oil extraction, and railroads, which, like the cotton economy of the South, depended on lots of capital and masses of unskilled workers.
—Heather Cox Richardson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
With a background in education, Westhoff and Masood came up with the idea of a hybrid, online and offline, academy that would train up unskilled workers - many of them migrants - who might otherwise be working in fast food outlets or for delivery firms.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
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Republicans stand in solidarity, voting for incompetent Cabinet picks, while Democrats are barred from entering the U.S. Agency for International Development building, which Musk shut down.—
Christine Ledbetter,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
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The difference in expertise is often shocking, which is one reason so many appeals cite incompetent representation.—
Lawrence Wright,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Kash Patel is set to become the latest of President Donald Trump‘s unfit and unqualified loyalists confirmed for a leadership role in Washington, with Senate Republicans ready and willing to install the QAnon promoter and 2020 election denier as the next director of the FBI.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
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Her letter, which was followed up by a social media post, was withering in making the case that Kennedy was unfit for the role and personal in detailing his struggles with drug addiction.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Unsurprisingly, our hero is also incapable of speaking or thinking about subjects other than his own.—
Graham Hillard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
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However, a hard truth for Elon Musk to face may be that X users are largely incapable of discerning facts without relying on traditional fact-checking organizations that Musk disagrees should be the sole arbiters of truth online.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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