inept

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Scotsman had built a stellar reputation at sea, offset by an inept sense of naval and parliamentary politics at home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Comedian Daniel Tosh even parlayed a desire to gawk at the web’s inept and unaware into a vicious update of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” that aired on Comedy Central for years.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2026

There’s a real argument here that an agency so inept in its recruitment will also be inept at training people and carrying out its mission.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

“We spoke a lot about what kind of man Gustav was — the paradox of someone who can see people so clearly in his art yet be so clumsy and inept in his real life.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

Or was it peculiar to his peculiar biological identity, a freak generated by his inept sensory apparatus?

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick