as in unfit
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
an incompetent carpenter had built the deck, and the railings were loose already
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incompetent
Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2004, after years of incompetent, wasteful and corrupt agencies obstructing basic and legal public records requests, the California Assembly and Senate voted unanimously to put Proposition 59 before voters.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Adjective
The North Texas mother charged with the 2022 murder of her 6-year-old son will be sent to a state hospital after being found incompetent to stand trial late last month, according to a judge's ruling Tuesday.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2004, after years of incompetent, wasteful and corrupt agencies obstructing basic and legal public records requests, the California Assembly and Senate voted unanimously to put Proposition 59 before voters.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Dodgers reached the pinnacle honestly, in a capitalistic structure that properly hands no favors to the incompetent.
—Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incompetent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetent
Adjective
-
Trump—fixated on securing his legacy with a ballroom and a triumphal arch—appears increasingly erratic, unfocused, and unfit for the job assigned to him.—
John Whitehead,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mix Materials The beauty in the unfitted kitchen aesthetic is found in its collected look.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
-
The venerable American clan at the center of the narrator’s reminiscences are wholly unfitted to the modern world and no longer endowed with the fortune that one of them brought home long ago on clipper ships.—
Daniel Akst,
WSJ,
2 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
Also, if 10 years pass since someone was deemed incapable to proceed in a felony case, the charges have to be dismissed.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Without political capital, leadership is irrelevant, because such a person is incapable of being a leader.—
Jim Nowlan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Luckily, the hunters brought the deer to a butcher who then informed EnCon police.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The restaurant’s core beef items reflect his mastery as a butcher.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For more instant gratification, grab a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon or the end of a rolling pin).—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incompetent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetent. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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