incompetent
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.not having the skills or ability to do a job or task well.
adj.lacking the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to perform a task or function successfully.
Simple“The company fired the manager because he was incompetent and kept losing money.”
In context“The investigation revealed that the project failed due to an incompetent leadership team that ignored several safety warnings.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
adj.not able to make good decisions for yourself because of a mental problem.
adj.lacking the legal or mental capacity to manage one's own affairs or to stand trial.
Simple“The judge ruled that the man was mentally incompetent to sign the contract.”
In context“The court appointed a legal guardian after the defendant was declared mentally incompetent to manage his own financial estate.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
adj.describing a part of the body or a layer of rock that is weak and changes shape easily.
adj.referring to a physical structure that fails to perform its function or lacks the strength to resist deformation.
Simple“The doctor explained that an incompetent valve was causing the patient's heart problems.”
In context“In this geological formation, the incompetent layers of shale folded much more easily than the surrounding sandstone under tectonic pressure.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who is not good at their job or lacks necessary skills.
n.a person who lacks the ability or qualities needed to perform a role effectively.
Simple“I am tired of working with incompetents who never finish their work on time.”
In context“The political satirist portrayed the entire cabinet as a group of bumbling incompetents who were out of touch with reality.”
SynonymsbungleridiotAntonyms
“Indeed, the army has already learned this: compulsory recruits in the postwar period were typically unmotivated and incompetent; a drag rather than a boost to the military’s performance.”
Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.