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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INEPT

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pronounce INEPT:


Say it "in EPT."

To hear it, click here.

connect this word to others:

The word we're checking out today, inept, means "unskilled, incompetent, tactless, clumsy, or inexpert."

It has a precise opposite, __ept, which means "skilled, competent, tactful, graceful, or expert." Can you recall it?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)    

definition:

"Inept" has Latin bits that mean "not proper, not appropriate, not suitable," or less literally, "silly, awkward, absurd."

We've used it for hundreds of years in English, so its meaning has changed and narrowed a little bit over time.

Today, inept things and people are stupid, clumsy, awkward, tactless, or ineffective.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "What an inept attempt;" "Ugh, why do I have to be so socially inept?"

Other forms: 

Ineptly, ineptitude (or, if you prefer, ineptness).

how to use it:

"Inept" is a harsh, formal, common word that we use to criticize people who act unprofessional--and people who are just bad at their jobs. When certain things should be done smoothly, gracefully, and skillfully, but they aren't, that's when we call them inept. 

We talk about inept workers (like inept teachers, doctors, and journalists) and inept work (like inept messages, inept reporting, and an inept handling of a situation).

We also talk about inept actions in a social context, like an inept apology, some inept flirtation, or an inept attempt to keep a secret.

And we often say that someone is inept at some task, job, game or sport, etc.

We can also be inept with some tool, machine, or program.

And we can blame the ineptitude on a specific body part: "my inept hand at sewing," "an inept eye for spotting mushrooms."

Lastly, despite this word's harshness, it works fine for lighthearted exaggeration. "I'm so inept at folding fitted sheets." 

examples:

"Just when it was beginning to feel as though the Seahawks were too inept on offense to win a game, any game, they pulled things together Sunday for the upset of the 49ers."
   — Mark Maske, Washington Post, 7 December 2021   

"He proceeded to attack me with his spear-like fork. We lunged about in the garage like two swashbucklers in an especially inept historical film."
   — John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, 1980

has this page helped you understand "inept"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.




study it:

Explain the meaning of "inept" without saying "bumbling" or "incompetent."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some person or character) is inept at (some job, task, or game)."

Example: "I'm learning, but I'm still so inept at the game Semantle."




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month: MYP Anagrams!

Rearrange the letters in the given word to form a word we've studied before. For example, if I give you THREAD, you give me DEARTH. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

Try this one today:

Rearrange the letters in FLARE to make an adjective. 

To peek at the clues, highlight the hidden white text below.

   The definition is… wild, threatening, and savage.
   The first letter is… F.

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of INEPT is ADEPT. But a pretty close opposite of INEPT is

A. TRUCULENT (rude, harsh, or savage).
B. REVERENT (highly respectful or admiring).
C. COMPETENT (skilled: able to do things correctly).

2. BuzzFeed offers to measure the extent of your social ineptitude with its quiz, "How Socially _____ Are You?"

A. Awkward
B. Isolated
C. Conscious




Answers to the review questions:
1. C
2. A

Answer to the game question:

Feral. Something feral is wild, threatening, and savage.



a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
      36 ways to study words.
      Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
      How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
      How to improve any sentence.
      How to motivate our kids to write.
      How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
      How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


A disclaimer:
When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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