1
: generally incompetent : bungling
inept leadership
3
: not suitable to the time, place, or occasion : inappropriate often to an absurd degree
an inept metaphor
4
: lacking sense or reason : foolish
Examples of inept in a Sentence
Not only does the post have a narrow mandate, covering such sexy subjects as nuclear waste and solar energy, but the secretary presides over the most inept bureaucrats in the land.
—
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 3 July 2000
The real hackers have an understanding of technology at a basic level. … The rest are talentless poseurs and hangers-on, either completely inept or basic criminals.
—Bruce Schneier, Secrets & Lies, 2000
To Cornelius, the White House travel office must have seemed—as it would have to any of the others who had served on the tight ship of the campaign's travel operation—an appallingly inept … operation.
—Peter J. Boyer, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 1996
He was completely inept at sports.
He made an inept attempt to apologize.
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 3 July 2000
The real hackers have an understanding of technology at a basic level. … The rest are talentless poseurs and hangers-on, either completely inept or basic criminals.
—Bruce Schneier, Secrets & Lies, 2000
To Cornelius, the White House travel office must have seemed—as it would have to any of the others who had served on the tight ship of the campaign's travel operation—an appallingly inept … operation.
—Peter J. Boyer, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 1996
He was completely inept at sports.
He made an inept attempt to apologize.
Recent Examples on the Web
The state’s prohibitionist approach isn’t inept policy, says Paul Craney with the free-market Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance think tank.
—Chris Woodward, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
The two later shook hands and made up. 1979: In the wake of the city’s inept handling of record January snowstorms, Jane Byrne upset Mayor Michael Bilandic in the Democratic primary.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
The inept response to the protests and the harassment of Jews from the former president of Columbia, Minouche Shafik, cost her her job after barely a year in office.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
The way the club is run by Sullivan is inept in this day and age, a lot money is spent on the team but haphazardly with a poor imbalanced squad.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
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Chris Woodward, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
The two later shook hands and made up. 1979: In the wake of the city’s inept handling of record January snowstorms, Jane Byrne upset Mayor Michael Bilandic in the Democratic primary.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
The inept response to the protests and the harassment of Jews from the former president of Columbia, Minouche Shafik, cost her her job after barely a year in office.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
The way the club is run by Sullivan is inept in this day and age, a lot money is spent on the team but haphazardly with a poor imbalanced squad.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inept
Cite this Entry
“Inept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inept. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inept
adjective
in·ept
in-ˈept 
1
: not suited for the occasion : inappropriate
an inept remark
2
: lacking in skill or ability : incompetent
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