inept

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: in=ept

CIDE DICTIONARY

inept, a. [L. ineptus; prefix. in- not + aptus apt, fit: cf. F. inepte. Cf. Inapt.].

•  Not apt or fit; unfit; unsuitable; improper; unbecoming.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Aristotelian philosophy is inept for new discoveries."  [1913 Webster]
•  Silly; useless; nonsensical; absurd; foolish.  [1913 Webster]

  "To view attention as a special act of intelligence, and to distinguish it from consciousness, is utterly inept."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

inept, adj.
1 unskilful.
2 absurd, silly.
3 out of place.

Derivative

ineptitude n. ineptly adv. ineptness n.

Etymology

L ineptus (as IN-(1), APT)

THESAURUS

inept

apish, artless, asinine, awkward, bad, batty, befooled, beguiled, besotted, brainless, buffoonish, bumbling, bungling, clumsy, cockeyed, crazy, credulous, daffy, daft, dazed, dizzy, doting, dumb, fatuitous, fatuous, flaky, fond, fool, foolheaded, foolish, fuddled, futile, gaga, gauche, goofy, graceless, gulled, half-assed, halting, ham-handed, headless, idiotic, ignorant, ill-adapted, ill-advised, ill-assorted, ill-chosen, ill-considered, ill-fitted, ill-judged, ill-matched, ill-sorted, ill-suited, ill-timed, imbecile, impolitic, improper, imprudent, inadept, inadmissible, inadvisable, inane, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, inattentive, incapable, incapable of, incompetent, incongruous, indiscreet, ineffective, inefficient, inexpedient, inexpert, infatuated, infelicitous, inferior, injudicious, inopportune, insane, insensate, irrational, irrelevant, kooky, lackbrained, lean-minded, lean-witted, loony, lumbering, mad, mal a propos, maladjusted, maladroit, malapropos, maudlin, mediocre, mindless, misguided, misjoined, mismatched, mismated, misplaced, moronic, not bright, nutty, of little brain, out of character, out of joint, out of keeping, out of line, out of place, out of proportion, out of season, out of time, out of tune, pea-brained, pedestrian, pin-brained, poor, reasonless, sappy, screwy, senseless, sentimental, silly, skill-less, slackminded, slackwitted, stupid, thoughtless, unable, unable to, unadapted, unadvised, unapt, unbecoming, unbefitting, undeft, undesirable, undexterous, undextrous, undiplomatic, undue, unendowed, unfacile, unfit, unfitted, unfitting, unfortunate, ungainly, ungifted, unhandy, unhappy, unintellectual, unintelligent, unmeet, unproficient, unprofitable, unqualified, unreasoning, unseasonable, unseemly, unskilled, unskillful, unsuitable, unsuited, untalented, unthinking, untimely, unwise, unworkmanlike, wacky, wet, witless, wooden, wrong

ROGET THESAURUS

inept

Inutility

N inutility, uselessness, inefficacy, futility, ineptitude, inaptitude, unsubservience, inadequacy, inefficiency, unskillfulness, disservice, unfruitfulness (unproductiveness), labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus, lost trouble, lost labor, work of Penelope, sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce, tautology, supererogation, vanitas vanitatum, vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity, triviality, caput mortuum, waste paper, dead letter, blunt tool, litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes, button top, shoddy, rags, orts, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings, waste, rubble, debris, detritus, stubble, leavings, broken meat, dregs, weeds, tares, rubbish heap, dust hole, rudera, deads, fruges consumere natus, useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless, inoperative, inadequate, inservient, unsubservient, inept, inefficient, of no avail, ineffectual, incompetent, stale, flat and unprofitable, superfluous, dispensable, thrown away, abortive, worthless, valueless, priceless, unsalable, not worth a straw, dear at any price, vain, empty, inane, gainless, profitless, fruitless, unserviceable, unprofitable, ill-spent, unproductive, hors de combat, effete, past work, obsolete, fit for the dust hole, good for nothing, of no earthly use, not worth having, not worth powder and shot, leading to no end, uncalled for, unnecessary, unneeded, uselessly, to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose, Int, cui bono?, what's the good!, actum ne agas, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, tanto buon che val niente.

Impotence

N impotence, inability, disability, disablement, impuissance, imbecility, incapacity, incapability, inaptitude, ineptitude, incompetence, unproductivity, indocility, invalidity, disqualification, inefficiency, wastefulness, telum imbelle, brutum fulmen, blank, blank cartridge, flash in the pan, vox et proeterea nihil, dead letter, bit of waste paper, dummy, paper tiger, Quaker gun, inefficacy, failure, helplessness, prostration, paralysis, palsy, apoplexy, syncope, sideration, deliquium, collapse, exhaustion, softening of the brain, inanition, emasculation, orchiotomy, orchotomy, cripple, old woman, muff, powder puff, creampuff, pussycat, wimp, mollycoddle, eunuch, powerless, impotent, unable, incapable, incompetent, inefficient, ineffective, inept, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, disqualified, unendowed, inapt, unapt, crippled, disabled, armless, harmless, unarmed, weaponless, defenseless, sine ictu, unfortified, indefensible, vincible, pregnable, untenable, paralytic, paralyzed, palsied, imbecile, nerveless, sinewless, marrowless, pithless, lustless, emasculate, disjointed, out of joint, out of gear, unnerved, unhinged, water-logged, on one's beam ends, rudderless, laid on one's back, done up, dead beat, exhausted, shattered, demoralized, graveled, helpless, unfriended, fatherless, without a leg to stand on, hors de combat, laid on the shelf, null and void, nugatory, inoperative, good for nothing, ineffectual, inadequate, inefficacious, der kranke Mann, desirous still but impotent to rise, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Folly

N imbecility folly, want of intelligence &c, want of intellect, shadowness, silliness, foolishness, imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let, stupidity, stolidity, hebetude, dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness, incompetence, one's weak side, not one's strong point, bias, infatuation, simplicity, puerility, babyhood, dotage, anility, second childishness, fatuity, idiocy, idiotism, driveling, folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit, sophistry, giddiness, eccentricity, extravagance, rashness, act of folly, unintelligent, unintellectual, unreasoning, mindless, witless, reasoningless, brainless, halfbaked, having no head, not bright, inapprehensible, weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded, beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed, weak-minded, feeble-minded, dull minded, shallow minded, lack- brained, rattle-brained, rattle headed, half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated, clod-pated, addle- pated, addle-brained, dim-sighted, short-sighted, thick-skulled, weak in the upper story, shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony, dull, dull as a beetle, stupid, heavy, insulse, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish, asinine, inapt, prosaic, hebetudinous, childish, child-like, infantine, infantile, babyish, babish, puerile, anile, simple, old-womanish, fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling, blatant, babbling, vacant, sottish, bewildered, blockish, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic, bovine, ungifted, undiscerning, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical, apish, simious, foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept, maudlin, narrow-minded, bigoted, giddy, rash, eccentric, foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine, ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised, mal entendu, inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical, extravagant, sleeveless, idle, pointless, useless, inexpedient, frivolous, Davus sum non, a fool's bolt is soon shot clitellae bovi sunt im, fools rush in where angels fear to tread, il n' a ni bouche ni eperon, the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound.