inept
Very clumsy or bad at doing something.
inept in a sentence
- The inept waiter dropped three plates and poured juice into a customer's lap.
- I am so inept at knitting that my scarf ended up with three giant holes.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to inept?
- Askilled
- Bable
- Cclumsy
- Dexpert
Show the answer
C: clumsy. The other three mean the opposite of inept.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to inept?
- Askilled
- Buseless
- Cclumsy
- Dhopeless
Show the answer
A: skilled. The other three mean nearly the same as inept.
Words that mean something similar
clumsy, useless, hopeless
Words that mean the opposite
skilled, able, expert
More words about character & personality
- insipid: Dull and weak, without any interesting flavour or character.
- intrepid: Brave and not afraid of danger.
- invincible: So strong that it cannot be beaten.
- jovial: Cheerful and full of fun.
- kindred: Alike in character, or connected like family.
- loyal: Always supporting and standing by a person, team or cause.
- malicious: Deliberately unkind and wanting to hurt others.
- mediocre: Not bad but not good either, just ordinary.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test