📖 Definitions of "Incompetent"
- 1
A person who is incompetent.
- 1
Unskilled; lacking the degree of ability that would normally be expected.
"Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that."
- 2
Unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
"The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working."
- 3
Of the cervix: opening too early in pregnancy, provoking the baby to be born.
- 4
Not resistant to deformation or flow.
🔄 Synonyms of "Incompetent"
15 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| feckless | Without skill, ineffective, incompetent. |
| inept | Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence. |
| inadequatenoun | Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose. |
| badnoun | Of low quality. |
| ineffective | Not having the desired effect; ineffectual; otiose. |
| incapablenoun | Not capable (of doing something); unable. |
| clumsynoun | Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous. |
| unskilled | Of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training. |
| bunglingnoun | Incompetent or inept. |
| inefficientnoun | Not efficient; not producing the effect intended or desired; inefficacious. |
| unqualified | Not qualified: ineligible; unfit for a position or task. |
| fumblingnoun | An instance of clumsiness, especially of the hands or fingers. |
| unworkmanlike | Not workmanlike. |
| incompetent personnoun | someone who is not competent to take effective action |
| unequal to | — |
↔️ Antonyms of "Incompetent"
Words with the opposite meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| competent | Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications. |
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Incompetent"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| inept | Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence. |
| inadequate | Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose. |
| inefficient | Not efficient; not producing the effect intended or desired; inefficacious. |
| ineffective | Not having the desired effect; ineffectual; otiose. |
| unskilled | Of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training. |
| feckless | Without skill, ineffective, incompetent. |
| bad | Of low quality. |
| unqualified | Not qualified: ineligible; unfit for a position or task. |
| incapable | Not capable (of doing something); unable. |
| unworkmanlike | Not workmanlike. |
| clumsy | Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous. |
| bungling | Incompetent or inept. |
| fumblingnoun | An instance of clumsiness, especially of the hands or fingers. |
| incompetent personnoun | someone who is not competent to take effective action |
| unequal to | — |
| unsatisfactory | Inadequate, substandard or not satisfactory. |
| ineffectual | Unable or insufficient to produce effect. |
| powerless | Lacking sufficient power or strength. |
| unfit | Not fit; not having the correct requirements. |
| inappropriate | Not appropriate; not suitable for the situation, time, or place. |
⚡ Words Strongly Associated with "Incompetent"
These words statistically appear in the same text as "incompetent" (Google Books Ngrams).
🎨 Adjectives for "Incompetent"
Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.
🏷️ Nouns for "Incompetent"
Common nouns this word is used to describe.
📝 Common Phrases with "Incompetent"
Words that come before
🌐 Broader and Narrower Concepts
Translate “Incompetent” into Another Language
Pick a language — the word will be pre-filled in the translator.