Incompetent Meaning
/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjLacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
adjUnable to make rational decisions; insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
Sentence Examples
The world is full of incompetent doctors.
He was fired for being an incompetent worker.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ electrician could not fix the wiring and caused a short circuit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The contractor did such an ____ job on the house that we had to hire someone else to fix it.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Many Gazans scorn Fatah as corrupt and incompetent, and they dislike Hamas's overzealousness and repression."
— 2009 January 8, Nicholas D. Kristof, “The Gaza Boomerang”, in The New York Times:
"But besides these incompetents, there was always a train of camp followers, —women who followed the camp, beggars, and criminals, whose number was often greater than the number of fighting soldiers."
— 1915, Henry Smith Williams, Edward Huntington Williams, Modern Warfare, page 11:
""Lies!" said the tallest of the sons of Ivaldi. "I wouldn't trust those fumble-fingered incompetents to shoe a horse.""
— 2017, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 34:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ electrician could not fix the wiring and caused a short circuit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The contractor did such an ____ job on the house that we had to hire someone else to fix it.