incompetent
Other forms: incompetents
If you are incompetent, you are not able to complete a task, like if you only ever made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches — you would be incompetent in the kitchen of a fancy French restaurant.
Someone who is not very good at getting a job done is incompetent. An incompetent salesperson can't sell anything. A learned professor may be quite incompetent when it comes to controlling a room full of rowdy pre-schoolers. Legally speaking, you can be declared incompetent if you do not have necessary qualifications, like being certified or licensed to do a certain job, like cut hair or fix cars.
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not qualified or suited for a purpose“an incompetent secret service”
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Synonyms:
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feckless, inept
generally incompetent and ineffectual
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ineffective, inefficient
lacking the ability or skill to perform effectively; inadequate
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unworkmanlike
not characteristic of or suitable for a good workman
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inefficient
not producing desired results; wasteful
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unqualified
not meeting the proper standards and requirements and training
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unskilled
not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency
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Antonyms:
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competent
properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient
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capable
(usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability
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able, capable
have the skills and qualifications to do things well
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effective, efficient
able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively
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workmanlike
worthy of a good workman
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efficient
being effective without wasting time or effort or expense
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qualified
meeting the proper standards and requirements and training for an office or position or task
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skilled
having or showing or requiring special skill
- show more antonyms...
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feckless, inept
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not meeting requirements
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synonyms:
incapable, unequal to
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inadequate, unequal
lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
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inadequate, unequal
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legally not qualified or sufficient
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showing lack of skill or aptitude
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not doing a good job
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someone who is not competent to take effective action
/ɪnˈkɑmpɪtɪnt/
/ɪnˈkɒmpɪtənt/
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Copy citationVocabulary lists containing incompetent
Charlie Gordon goes through an experimental treatment to increase his intelligence, with unexpected and ultimately tragic results.
Published ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this collection of 17 essays presents the complex array of struggles that individuals face when navigating the world in a marginalized body.
Based loosely on the classic I, Claudius by Robert Graves, this novel follows Claudia McCarthy's rise to power in the Honors Council and Student Senate at Imperial Day Academy.
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