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.

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

The smartest guy in the room could also be strangely inept at reading the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

“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

"I don't know if I'm shy. I think I'm socially inept," she recently told Canadian DJ Tara Sloane.

From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025

Unfortunately for cosmic justice, many gifted writers are scoundrels, and many inept ones are the salt of the earth.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker