Inept

Definition: Inept

Inept

Adjective

1. Not elegant or graceful in expression; "an awkward prose style"; "a clumsy apology"; "his cumbersome writing style"; "if the rumor is true, can anything be more inept than to repeat it now?".

2. Generally incompetent and ineffectual; "feckless attempts to repair the plumbing"; "inept handling of the account".

3. Revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse; "an inept remark"; "it was tactless to bring up those disagreeable".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "inept" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1651. (references)

Etymology: Inept \In*ept"\, adjective. [Latin expression ineptus; prefix. in- not aptus apt, fit: compare to the French expression inepte. Compare to Inapt.]. (references)

INEPT

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Synonyms: Inept

Imbecility Folly

Foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept; maudlin.

Impotence

Adjective: powerless, impotent, unable, incapable, incompetent; inefficient, ineffective; inept; unfit, unfitted; unqualified, disqualified; unendowed; inapt, unapt; crippled, disabled; Verb: armless.

Inutility

Adjective: useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless; inoperative; inadequate; (insufficient); inservient, unsubservient; inept, inefficient; (impotent); of no avail; (use); ineffectual; (failure); incompetent; (unskillful); " stale, flat and unprofitable"; superfluous; (redundant); dispensable; thrown away; (wasted); abortive; (immature).

Crosswords: Inept

Books

• Desperate Measures: 90 Unintimidating Recipes for the Domestically Inept (reference)

• The tragedy of Libby and Andersonville prison camps : a study of mismanagement and inept logistical policies at two southern prisoner-of-war camps during the Civil War (reference)

  (more book examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Whatever Zaphod's qualities of mind might include - dash, bravado, conceit - he was mechanically inept and could easily blow the ship up with an extravagant gesture

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Economic History

Zimbabwe

The well-publicized failure of a number of financial institutions, primarily due to fraud and inept management, has raised concern over the oversight capability of the Reserve Bank and the financial soundness of a number of the smaller players. (references)

Political Economy

NIGERIA

Though meant to promote industrial exports, these schemes have been burdened by inept administration, confusion among industrialists, and corruption, causing in some cases losses to those manufacturers and exporters who opted to use them. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Albanian

i pavend (Amiss, improper, inappropriate, indiscreet, inopportune, irrelevant, off-key, preposterous, unbecoming, uncalled for, unfortunate, unjust, unplaced), i papërshtatshëm (ill timed, ill-placed, ill-sorted, ill-suited, improper, inadequate, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, inconvenient, indecorous, ineligible, infelicitous, out of place, reject, unadaptable, unapt, unbecoming, unbefitting, undesirable, undue, unequal, unfavorable, unfavourable, unmeet, unsuitable, unsuited, unusable, wrong), i paaftë (bumbling, disabled, guiltless, helpless, impaired, impotent, inapt, incapable, incompetent, inefficient, muff, spado, unable, unskilful, weak), i ngathët (angular, atonic, awkward, clumsy, cubbish, dawdler, dead, dead alive, dull, dullish, footless, gauche, gawky, ham-fisted, heavy, heavy-handed, hulking, laggard, languid, left handed, lubberly, lumbering, lymphatic, maladroit, oafish, pedestrian, poky, quick, shiftless, slack, torpid, ungainly, unhandy, unmoved, unready, unwieldy, wooden). (various references)

Arabic 

‏غير كفؤ (incompetence, incompetent, ineffective, inefficient, misfit, unfit), ‏غير مناسب (ill timed, improper, inadvisable, inappropriate, incongruous, inexpedient, undue, wrong), ‏غير ملائم (awkward, awkwardly, clumsy, disadvantageous, inadequate, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incommensurate, inconvenient, unfortunate, unfriendly, unhandy, unseemly, unsuitable, untidy, untimely), ‏سخيف (absurd, childish, daft, dotty, fatuous, foolish, ridiculous, silly, spoony, tomfool), ‏أحمق (ass, barmy, berk, bonkers, brutish, childish, chuckle-head, chump, cuckoo, daft, empty, empty headed, fantastic, fat, fathead, fatuous, foolish, footless, goofy, goon, haywire, idiotic, impolitic, imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious, insensate, jerk, lemon, mad, meaningless, nit, nitwit, nonsensical, numskull, ornery, oyster, perverse, pointless, prat, screwball, senseless, sod, stupid, unwise, vacant, wacky, weak, weak-minded, whacky, witless, wood-headed, zany). (various references)

Bulgarian 

глупав (anserine, asinine, blackhearted, blithering, blockish, blunt, brainless, cockscomb, crass, daft, dense, dim witted, dopey, dopy, dozy, fat, fatuous, flat-footed, fool, foolish, footless, footling, goofy, hebetate, inane, irrational, lame brain, lumpish, lunatic, mindless, mutton-headed, nonsensical, off one's nut, piffling, puddingy, puerile, purblind, sappy, senseless, silly, simple, slow witted, stockish, stupid, thick, thick-skulled, thick-witted, tomfool, trumpery, unintelligent, unwise, vacant, vacuous, whacked, witless, wooden-headed), несръчен (all thumbs, awkward, blundering, bungling, butterfingered, clumsy, heavy-handed, left handed, maladroit, two-fisted, unapt, unskilful, untoward), неуместен (ill-judged, impertinent, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, incongruous, inconsequent, inexpedient, injudicious, inopportune, irrelevant, mistaken, out of place, unadvised, uncalled for, unfortunate, unseasonable, unsuitable), неспособен (disabled, inapt, incapable, incompetent, ineffective, inefficient, unapt, unfit), невалиден (invalid, irregular, void), нелеп (absurd, farcical, fatuous, inane, incongruous, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous, screwy), неподходящ (ill-suited, improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incorrect, ineligible, infelicitous, injudicious, inopportune, irrelative, irrelevant, out of place, unadapted, unapt, unbecoming, unbeseeming, uncongenial, undignified, undue, unequal, unfit, unseemly, unsuitable, unsuited, untoward, wrong). (various references)

Chinese 

不适�" (inadequacy, inappropriate, ineptness, INEXPEDIENT). (various references)

Czech

neohrabaný (awkward, bumbling, clumsy, cumbersome, gauche, ham-fisted, ham-handed, hulking, unwieldy, wooden), nejapný (clumsy, crude, gauche, inane), nechápavý (cimmerian, obtuse, slow witted), nešikovný (awkward, butter-fingered, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, maladroit, unskillful, unwieldy). (various references)

Farsi 

ناجور (Away, Cockeyed, Disparate, Dissimilar, Dissonant, Heterogeneous, Inapplicable, Inappropriate, Inconsistent, Incorrect, Misfit, Piebald, Sorry, Uneven), ناشایسته (Improper, Inapt, Incompetent, Unbecoming, Unfit, Unmeet, Unseemly, Unworthy), نادان (Asinine, Fool, Ignorant, Silly, Simple, Unlettered, Untaught, Unwise, Yokel), بی منطق , بی معنی (Absurd, Hokum, Insensate, Irrational, Rigmarole, Unmeaning), بی عرضه . (various references)

French

inepte (inane, incompetent), incompétent (incapable, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient), inapproprié (inappropriate), stupide, peu � propos, absurde (incongruous). (various references)

German

unpassend (ill timed, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inappropriately, inapt, incongruous, incongruously, indecorous, indecorously, ineptly, inexpedient, inexpediently, infelicitous, inopportune, unbefitting, unfitting, unfittingly, unpassable, unsuitable, unsuitably, untimely, untoward). (various references)

Greek 

άτοποσ (absurd, incongruous), ανόητοσ (blithering, daft, fatuous, fool, foolish, goofy, idiot, inane, insensate, insipient, knighterrantry, ninny, nitwit, nonsensical, sappy, senseless, silly, slap happy, unwise, witless), ανάρμοστοσ (improper, incongruous, inexpedient, unbecoming, unbefitting, ungentlemanly, unneighborly, unneighbourly, unsuited), ανίκανος (helpless, incapable, incompetent, powerless), απρεπήσ (graceless, impolitic, improper, indecent, indecorous, risque, scabrous, tactless, unbecoming, uncalled for, undue, unseemly), αδέξιος (awkward, gawky, heavy-handed, maladroit). (various references)

Hebrew 

לא מתאים (improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, unequal), לא יעיל (bootless, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, shiftless), שטותי (foolish, nonsensical), חסר כשרון. (various references)

Hungarian

ostoba (asinine, bird brained, blockish, brainless, Daffy, doltish, dry, dumb, dump, dunce, fatuous, feeble minded, goofy, hulking, idiotic, inane, lack-brain, lame brain, loggerheaded, Looby, numb-skull, numskull, oafish, owlish, preposterous, puerile, silly, simple, simple minded, simpleton, slow, sot, stupid, thick-headed, to cut capers, tomfool, witless, wooden-headed), alkalmatlan (awkward, importunate, inadequate, inappropriate, inapt, incapable, incompetent, inconvenient, ineligible, inexpedient, inopportune, mistimed, trying, unfeasible, unfit, unsuitable, unsuited, unwelcome). (various references)

Indonesian

mustahil (impossible, improbable, preposterous), janggal (awkward, clumsy, disprove). (various references)

Italian

inetto (incapable, incompetent, unfit, unsuitable). (various references)

Manx

ommidagh (crack, crack of person, daft, dense, dense of mind, fond), meehraaoil (ill-timed, inapt, incongruous, inexpedient, inopportune, misplaced, out of place). (various references)

Norwegian

ukyndig, udugelig (inefficient), tåpelig (daft, foolish, inane), malplassert (inappropriate). (various references)

Pig Latin

ineptay.(various references)

Portuguese

inepto (shiftless, unapt, unpractical, unqualified), incapaz (disabled, effete, forceless, impotent, impoverished, inapt, incapable, incompetent, ineffective, inefficient, insusceptible, powerless, unable, unapt, unfit, unsusceptible), tolo (addle-brained, addled, corny, cuddy, daft, dull, finical, fool, foolish, gaby, goat, gowk, gull, hard-hearted, insane, insensate, looby, loony, mad, madman, naïve, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwit, pigeon, pumpkin-head, screwy, silly, simpleton, softhead, softy, spoon, spoony, stock, stupe, stupid, tomfool, tom-noddy, vacuous, wacky, witless), que n�o vem a prop�sito, nulo (empty, negative, null, null and void), disparatado (absurd, blundering, crack-brained, crazy, foolish, hard-hearted, insensate, irrational, kill-time, nonsensical, preposterous, screwy, senseless), absurdo (absurd, absurdity, bloodcurdling, foolish, ill-placed, impertinent, incongruous, irrational, ludicrous, monstrous, nonsense, nonsensical, preposterous, ragtime, ridiculous, rubbish, unreason). (various references)

Romanian

stupid (doltish, dull, dull-witted, foolish, foolishly, Goosey, idiotic, idiotical, idle, inane, insipid, mindless, senseless, silly, stupid, stupidly, wooden-headed), nul (null, tie), nepotrivit (awkward, bad, discordant, dissonant, ill-matched, ill-sorted, improper, inadequate, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incapable, incongruous, inconsistent, incorrect, ineligible, inexpedient, infelicitous, inopportune, insufficient, intrusive, irrelevant, malapropos, misbecoming, off color, off colour, out of character, out of date, out of point, timeless, unapt, unbecoming, uncalled for, uncomely, undue, unequal, unfit, unmeet, unseasonable, untimely, unwarranted), deplasat (improper, inapposite, incongruously, indecorous, inopportune, out of place, unbecoming, uncalled for, unseasonable), absurd (absurd, absurdity, absurdly, Dotty, fabulous, foolish, impossible, irrational, ludicrous, mad, mindless, nonsensical, piffling, preposterous, recondite, ridiculous, silly, stupid, temerarious, unreasonable). (various references)

Russian 

глупый (anserine, apish, asinine, barmy, beef-witted, blockish, bovine, brain dead, brainless, cloddish, daft, dense, doddery, drippy, fatuous, fat-witted, featherbrain, featherbrained, feather-brained, foolish, gaga, goofy, harebrained, idle-headed, inane, mindless, mutton-headed, nitwitted, nonsensical, oafish, sappy, silly, simple-minded, soft-headed, spoony, stupid, thickskulled, thick-skulled, thick-witted, timber-headed, unwise, wooden-headed), неуместный (ill-placed, impertinent, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, injudicious, inopportune, irrelative, irrelevant, mistaken, out of place, uncalled for, uncalled-for, unseasonable), недействительный (ineffective, inefficacious, invalid, non-effective, nude, null, unavailable, void). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

nevičan (inexpert, unskilled, unversed), nepodesan (discordant, impaired, improper, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, inconvenient, inexpedient, quaint, unaccommodating, unapt, unbefitting, undue, unsuitable, unsuited). (various references)

Spanish

inepto (inapt, unskilled, unsuitable, useless). (various references)

Swedish

inkompetent (incapable, incompetent, ineffective, inefficient, unqualified), tafatt (awkward, clumsy, flatfooted, gauche, gawky, heavy-handed, left handed, maladroit, tag), opassande (improper, improperly, inappropriate, inapt, indecent, indecorous, off color, off colour, out of order, unbecoming, unfitting, unmentionable, unseemly), olämplig (ill timed, improper, inadequate, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, inconvenient, incorrect, ineligible, inexpedient, infelicitous, inopportune, misguided, unfit, unfitting, unseasonable, unsuitable, unsuited), malplacerad, klumpig (awkward, cloddish, Cloggy, clownish, clumsy, cumbersome, elephantine, flatfooted, gauche, heavy-handed, hulking, inelegant, left handed, lumpish, uncouth, ungainly, unwieldy, wooden). (various references)

Turkish

yeteneksiz (helpless, inapt, ineffective, talentless, unendowed, unskilful, untalented), yersiz (Amiss, baseless, beside the point, digressive, discursive, idle, ill timed, impertinent, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, indiscreet, inexpedient, infelicitous, injudicious, inopportune, irrelevant, malapropos, out of place, out of turn, uncalled for, uncomely, undue, unhappy, unjustifiable, unseasonable, untimely, untoward, unwarranted), saçma (absurd, applesauce, balls, baloney, blind, boloney, bunk, bunkum, chimerical, claptrap, cockeyed, dissemination, eradiation, fantastic, fantastical, farcical, fatuous, fiddle, fiddle-de-dee, fiddlesticks, foolish, for the birds, froth, frothy, fudge, go on, hog-wash, hooey, impertinent, inane, incongruous, irrational, jabber wocky, kibosh, laugh, malarkey, nonsense, nonsensical, outlandish, paltry, pointless, poppycock, raving, rhubarb, rot, scattering, senseless, shot, shucks, skittles, small shot, smearcase, sorry, spinach, stuff, tommyrot, tosh, trash, trifling, tripe, trivial, trumpery, unreasonable, wacky, waffle, whacky), beceriksiz (awkward, bungler, bungling, clumsy, Duff, duffer, feckless, flat-footed, fumbling, gauche, gawky, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed, helpless, impractical, inapt, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, inexpert, left handed, lubber, maladroit, manque, ne'er do well, never-do-well, oaf, oafish, resourceless, rude, shiftless, slouch, unaccomplished, unhandy, unskilful, untalented), aptalca (crazy, fatuously, fondly, foolish, foolishly, footling, half-baked, idiotic, ill-considered, stupidly), anlamsız (absurd, barren, blank, dead pan, empty, expressionless, for the birds, frivolous, grotesque, inane, incoherent, inexpressive, insane, insignificant, meaningless, nonsense, nonsensical, of no significance, pointless, purposeless, ridiculous, senseless, sodden, unmeaning, unreasonable, vacuous, vain, yeasty), acemi (apprentice, beginner, bungler, callow, catechumen, clumsy, colt, cub, dabster, green, greenhorn, guiltless, half-baked, inexperienced, inexperienced hand, inexpert, jackaroo, johnny-come-lately, learner, neophyte, new, novice, Prentice, punk, raw, recruit, runnynose, simple, stooge, strange, stranger, sucking, tenderfoot, tiro, trainee, tyro, unbaked, unfledged, unseasoned, unskilled, untrained, unversed, young, young in one's job). (various references)

Turkmen 

nalajedeяin (clumsy). (various references)

Ukrainian

невмілий (artless, blundering, botchy, bungling, fumbling, handless, ineffective, inexpert, unskilful, unskilled), непідхожий (ill timed, improper, inadequate, inapposite, inapt, inconvenient, naughty, unbecoming, unchristian, undesirable, undue, unearthly, unmeet, unsuitable, untoward, unworthy), абсурдний (absurd, grotesque, nonsensical). (various references)

Vietnamese 

lạc lõng dớ dẩn. (various references)

Welsh

di-glem. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "inept": ineptitude, ineptitudes, ineptly, ineptness, ineptnesses. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Inept" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: anopt, enapt, enept, enet, Iep, Iepg, iet, imet, inaat, inait, Inat, inbet, ineft, inent, ineot, inep, inest, Inet, inetd, inget, ingpt, iniap, innept, innet, inpet, Inpex, insps, inupt, inut, ipent, itet, knept, niep, niet, nipet, nipt, Xinet. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: nite, pein, pent, pine, pint, tine.

-2 letters: net, nip, nit, pen, pet, pie, pin, pit, ten, tie, tin, tip.

-3 letters: en, et, in, it, ne, pe, pi, ti.

+1 letter: dipnet, incept, instep, pantie, patine, pectin, pineta, pinite, pintle, pitmen, pointe, pterin, spinet, tenpin, tiepin.

+2 letters: bepaint, depaint, dipnets, emptins, entopic, incepts, ineptly, inspect, insteps, inswept, nepotic, painted, painter, panties, pantile, patient, patinae, patined, patines, pectins, pelting, penlite, pertain, petting, petunia, picante, pigment, pimento, pinetum, piniest, pinites, pinkest, pinnate, pintles, pintoes, plenist, pointed, pointer, pointes, pontine, potline, printed, printer, protein, pterins, puniest, punties, repaint, reprint, sapient, snippet, spinate, spinets, stipend, temping, tenpins, tiepins, tintype, topline, tropine.