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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
As is often the case, Louie was unlucky — and also unskillful.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2017
Scottie Andrew and Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 6 July 2020
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
Adjective
-
Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Trump keeps clamoring for a Nobel Peace Prize, but his hopes are delusional since his incompetent dealings with Putin and Netanyahu have enabled them to continue their dastardly deeds.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Bolton, who served in President Donald Trump’s first term, has become a vocal critic of the administration’s foreign policy and called the president unfit to serve.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Trump continues to dismiss Bolton as disloyal and ineffective, while Bolton has positioned himself as one of Trump's fiercest Republican critics, arguing that the former president is unfit for office and a danger to national security.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Khaleda Rahman
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
For the unskilled makeup amateurs among us, the face-sculpting technique of contouring is a little too intimidating.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
7 Aug. 2025
-
When an unskilled injector offers up undereye filler, the more serious side effects can even include blindness or stroke.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But following mass Department of Education layoffs and staff buyouts earlier this year, the Office of Federal Student Aid appears to be incapable of keeping up with the deluge of applications.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Unfortunately, however, those eyes are incapable of seeing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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