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
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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
-
The case stalled for years, in part due to concerns that Saleh was mentally incompetent to stand trial, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 May 2025
-
The man accused of stalking Jennifer Aniston and crashing his car through her front gate was ruled incompetent for trial on Thursday but demanded a second opinion.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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That said, to be displaced is to be object, material, pushed across borders, overloaded into boats, stuffed into unfit vehicles, herded over mountains by smugglers.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
21 May 2025
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When Eleanor gives birth to a baby named Lily and—in Ruth’s eyes—proves unfit to care for her, Ruth decides to raise the girl alone.—
Sophia Stewart,
The Atlantic,
9 May 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
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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
Adjective
-
Furthermore, although the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act promises 100 days of unskilled employment, households have rarely gotten more than 50 days of employment on average.—
Shamika Ravi,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Apr. 2017
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Related Stories Whoever says this is unskilled work is either ignorant or lying.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Bears are betting the president is incapable of doing either.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
Dakota Johnson, queen of all nepo babies, is incapable of being boring.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unskillful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillful. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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