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
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
The increase in family members acting as unskilled caregivers could become more pronounced in the coming years not only because of budget cuts, but also due to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, according to experts.
—Marina E. Franco, NBC news, 31 July 2025
From 1840 to 1900, the real wages of skilled and unskilled builder craftsmen rose by 113 percent and 124 percent, respectively.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
In contrast, the EB-3 category is designed for skilled workers with at least two years of experience, professionals with a bachelor's degree, and other workers in unskilled positions requiring less than two years of training.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 4 Aug. 2025
The increase in family members acting as unskilled caregivers could become more pronounced in the coming years not only because of budget cuts, but also due to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, according to experts.
—Marina E. Franco, NBC news, 31 July 2025
From 1840 to 1900, the real wages of skilled and unskilled builder craftsmen rose by 113 percent and 124 percent, respectively.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
In contrast, the EB-3 category is designed for skilled workers with at least two years of experience, professionals with a bachelor's degree, and other workers in unskilled positions requiring less than two years of training.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
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But let’s face it, the Red Wings have looked a bit inexperienced at times so far, too.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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The helmers cycle through a year’s worth of seasons for Zhenya and Anatolij Pilipenko, inexperienced farmers who envisioned a new life for themselves and their two young daughters.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The premise has the potential for slapstick silliness, as an incompetent Seoul family fumbles its way through opening a hunting lodge in the Korean countryside.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Lauren was also charged with misdemeanor battery and theft in June 2020, per online court records reviewed by PEOPLE; that case was discharged after she was found incompetent to stand trial.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In 1979, amateur archaeologists in Essex recovered multiple aircraft components, some of which were connected to Lowry’s plane and its crash site.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Throughout the film, del Toro flits and hovers between contradictory ideas, with the restlessness of the beautiful butterflies that Elizabeth, an amateur entomologist, likes to study.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, if temperatures fluctuate unpredictably, going below or above the average, all the low-var animals will be unfit and unable to pass on their genes.—
Shraddha Lall,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
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But rivals like former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and former California State Controller Betty Yee are already framing her as unfit for office.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
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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
Adjective
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Gilligan is probably incapable of saccharine.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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In the final debate, Cuomo and Sliwa both attacked Mamdani for his stances on Israel and sought to portray him as incapable of addressing rising antisemitism to protect Jews, who account for about a tenth of New York City.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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