inept

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈnɛpt/ UK /ɪˈnɛpt/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like inapt /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Meanings

1

adj
lacking skill or competence; awkwardly unsuitable

His inept handling of the crisis cost him the job.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking skill or... incompetent clumsy bungling maladroit unskillful gauche

Opposites

adept skillful competent apt

Word family

Forms ineptly

Derived forms ineptlyineptitudeineptness

Related forms apt adept aptitude

Simplified etymology

Inept entered English in the mid-16th century from Latin ineptus, the negative counterpart of aptus “fitted” or “suitable.” The vowel difference between apt and inept had already developed in Latin.

Etymology

From Latin ineptus ('unsuitable, absurd'), from in- ('not') + aptus ('fit, suited'), past participle of apere ('to fasten, attach').

ineptus Latin aptus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# inept

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈnɛpt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈnɛpt/

## Meanings
1. lacking skill or competence; awkwardly unsuitable

## Examples
- His inept handling of the crisis cost him the job.

## Synonyms
- incompetent
- clumsy
- bungling
- maladroit
- unskillful
- gauche

## Antonyms
- adept
- skillful
- competent
- apt

## Derived Forms
- ineptly
- ineptitude
- ineptness

## Related Forms
- apt
- adept
- aptitude

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ineptus
- Root: aptus

## Etymology
From Latin ineptus ('unsuitable, absurd'), from in- ('not') + aptus ('fit, suited'), past participle of apere ('to fasten, attach').

## AI Etymology
Inept is from Latin ineptus ('unsuitable, absurd'), from in- ('not') + aptus ('fit, suited'), past participle of apere ('to fasten, attach'). In present-day use, it means lacking skill or competence; awkwardly unsuitable. Derived formations include ineptly, ineptitude, and ineptness. Related vocabulary includes apt, adept, and aptitude.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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