Word
Definition
adj. having or showing no skill. You use this to describe someone who is very bad at a task or job.
adj. lacking skill or competence in a particular task or role. Often used to describe social or professional failure resulting from a lack of ability.
Examples
“He is an inept cook who always burns the toast.”
“The public lost confidence in the government after its inept handling of the economic crisis.”
“While his technical knowledge was impressive, his inept management style eventually alienated the entire department and led to a significant drop in productivity.”
Examples
simple
“He is an inept cook who always burns the toast.”
contextual
“The public lost confidence in the government after its inept handling of the economic crisis.”
complex
“While his technical knowledge was impressive, his inept management style eventually alienated the entire department and led to a significant drop in productivity.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem', or attributively before a noun.
Real-World Examples
“What this shows is that, instead of making people feel inept and miserable, we need to take the exact opposite approach.” “I can stitch, and curse my inept fingers, and stitch a little more.” “That inept footballer we whistle at in despair is a better football player than we have ever seen or ever will meet.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French inepte, from Latin ineptus, from in- + aptus (whence English apt).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/inept
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0