- not suitable to the purpose; unfit
- wrong in a foolish and awkward way: inept praise
- clumsy or bungling
- inefficient
Origin of inept
French inepte from Classical Latin ineptus from in-, not + aptus, suitable, apt
adjective
- An example of inept is a worker who keeps dropping and breaking jars while stocking groceries.
- An example of inept is an answer to a question that does not include the correct information.
The definition of inept is being bad at a task or not suitable.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"inept." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept>.
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inept. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept
inept
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"inept." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept>.
APA Style
inept. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept
inept
adjective
- Lacking or showing a lack of skill or competence; bungling or clumsy: an inept actor; an inept performance.
- Showing a lack of judgment, sense, or reason; inappropriate or foolish: an inept remark.
Origin of inept
Latin ineptus in- not ; see in- 1. aptus suitable ; see apt .Related Forms:
- in·ept′ly
adverb
- in·ept′ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"inept." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept>.
APA Style
inept. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept
Adjective
(comparative more inept, superlative most inept)
- Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence
- Unfit; unsuitable
Origin
From Middle French inepte, from Latin ineptus
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"inept." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 13 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept>.
APA Style
inept. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Inept
Sentence Examples
- The study failed due to the inept scientist in charge of the research.
- Her inept efforts in cooking had disastrous results.
- I was amazed at how inept she was at her job.
- The inept plumber only made things worse; now our whole basement is flooded!
- She has proven herself to be inept at any kind of video game.
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