inept

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“
The past, inept, administration failed to finalize these standards and Obama is taking steps to do so, as he should. [edit] thank God, and things are looking up.

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Definitions (9)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. adjective Not apt or fitting; inappropriate.
  2. adjective Displaying a lack of judgment, sense, or reason; foolish: an inept remark.
  3. adjective Bungling or clumsy; incompetent: inept handling of the account.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

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Examples (50)

  • He felt helpless, inept, and so damned scared, he could barely think what to do. —  Garwood, Julie - Rose 3 - One White Rose
  • And North Ave is playing with the purchasing process (or they are still seriously inept -- which is worse?), making it as hard as possible to actually spend the money we allegedly have. —  Blog updates
  • But nerds are socially inept, and he is anything but. —  The Economist: Correspondent's diary
  • Perlstein describes, for example, how inept were the authorities at Cornell University in responding when black students took control of a building.
  • If a predecessor was inept, there will be fences to mend with business partners.
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin ineptus : in-, not; see in-1 + aptus, suitable; see apt.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = French inepte = Spanish Portuguese inepto = Italian inetto, from Latin ineptus, unsuitable, improper, senseless, from in- privative + aptus, suitable: see apt. Cf. inapt.
 

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/ɪnˈɛpt/
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