inept

inept
inapt, inept
These two words are often confused because they overlap in their basic meanings ‘inappropriate, unsuitable’ and ‘unskilful’. Inapt tends to mean rather the first of these, and applies only to actions and circumstances, whereas inept means rather the second, is much more common, and applies to people as well as actions:

• In this respect, the oft-quoted cathedral metaphor is not inapt —J. Richards et al., 1988

• She believes it would be politically inept to cut such training programmes at a time when the jobless total is rising fast —Today, 1992

• Nicholas was inept at all forms of promiscuity except gossip —Esquire, 1992

• His inapt use of the colloquial ‘just for kicks’ undermines his claim —Guardian, 2007.

So if you say that a person's reply is inapt and inept, you mean that it was both inappropriate and clumsily expressed.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • inept — INÉPT, Ă, inepţi, te, adj. (Rar) Prost, stupid, tâmpit. – Din fr. inepte, lat. ineptus. Trimis de valeriu, 21.07.2003. Sursa: DEX 98  INÉPT adj. v. nătâng, neghiob, neghiobesc, nerod, nerozesc, netot, prostesc, stupid. Trimis de siveco,… …   Dicționar Român

  • Inept — In*ept , a. [L. ineptus; prefix. in not + aptus apt, fit: cf. F. inepte. Cf. {Inapt}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Not apt or fit; unfit; unsuitable; improper; unbecoming. [1913 Webster] The Aristotelian philosophy is inept for new discoveries. Glanvill.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • inept — [adj1] clumsy, unskilled; incompetent all thumbs*, artless, awkward, bumbling, bungling, butterfingers*, gauche, halting, inadept, incapable, incompetent, inefficient, inexpert, loser, maladroit, unapt, undexterous, unfacile, ungraceful, unhandy …   New thesaurus

  • inept — [in ept′] adj. [Fr inepte < L ineptus < in , not + aptus, suitable, APT1] 1. not suitable to the purpose; unfit 2. wrong in a foolish and awkward way [inept praise] 3. clumsy or bungling; inefficient SYN. AWKWARD ineptly …   English World dictionary

  • Inept — (v. lat.), 1) ungereimt; 2) abgeschmackt; 3) der Proceßordnung zuwider; daher Ineptien, Ungereimtheiten, Abgeschmacktheiten. Ineptitudo libelli, die Ordnungswidrigkeit eines Klagschreibens …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Inépt — (lat., »unpassend, ungeschickt, ungereimt«) nannte man zur Zeit des schriftlichen Verfahrens eine rechtliche Klage, wenn ihre Fassung an innern Widersprüchen oder solchen Undeutlichkeiten und Mängeln litt, daß deren Beseitigung und Aufklärung dem …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Inept — Inept, lat. deutsch, unpassend, abgeschmackt; der Proceßordnung zuwider; I.ien, Abgeschmacktheiten …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • inept — I (incompetent) adjective awkward, blundering, bungling, clumsy, disqualified, foolish, ignorant, ill qualified, impotent, inadept, inadequate, inapt, incapable, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, ineptus, inexpert …   Law dictionary

  • inept — (adj.) c.1600, from O.Fr. inepte (14c.) or directly from L. ineptus unsuitable, improper, absurd, awkward, silly, tactless, from in not, opposite of (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) + aptus apt (see APT (Cf. apt)). Related: Ineptly; ineptness …   Etymology dictionary

  • inept — *awkward, clumsy, maladroit, gauche Analogous words: inapt, *unfit, unsuitable, inappropriate: *impertinent, intrusive, obtrusive: *vain, nugatory, idle, empty, hollow, otiose: fatuous, asinine, foolish, silly (see SIMPLE) Antonyms: apt: adept:… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • inept — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ incompetent; awkward or clumsy. DERIVATIVES ineptitude noun ineptly adverb ineptness noun. ORIGIN originally in the sense «unsuitable»: from Latin ineptus, from in not + aptus fitted …   English terms dictionary

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