incompetent

noun

A person who is incompetent.

adjective

Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.

Unable to make rational decisions; insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.

(medicine, of the cervix) Opening too early during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth.

(geology) Not resistant to deformation or flow.

Roots

inin- · Latin · not peto-pet · Latin · seek, strive

Synonyms for incompetent

bunglingadj ineptadj incapableadj unqualifiedadj unskilledadj clumsyadj ineffectiveadj inefficientadj ineffectualadj unskillfuladj untalentedadj unfitadj maladroitadj inexpertadj

Synonyms & related words for incompetent

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of incompetent — including bungling, inept, incapable, unqualified, unskilled, clumsy. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to incompetent

Explore words related to incompetent — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include feckless, incompetently, incapably, incompetence, incompetency, nincompoops, dimwitted, unintelligent. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for incompetent

Common synonyms for incompetent include bungling, inept, incapable, unqualified, unskilled, clumsy, ineffective, inefficient — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does incompetent come from?

The word incompetent breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: in-, from Latin in (“not”); and -pet, from Latin peto (“seek, strive”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.