inelegant

adjective

in·​el·​e·​gant (ˌ)i-ˈne-li-gənt 

: lacking in refinement, grace, or good taste

inelegantly adverb

Synonyms

• awkward
• clumsy
• gauche
• graceless
• rough-hewn
• rustic
• rustical
• stiff
• stilted
• uncomfortable
• uneasy
• ungraceful
• wooden

Examples of inelegant in a Sentence

inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events

inelegant furniture that looked like it belonged in a budget motel

Recent Examples on the Web

For such an inelegant behavior to be in chatbots as widespread and popular as GPT is a blunt reminder of two larger, seemingly contrary phenomena. —Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

The result has been a competition that has felt, at times, unwieldy and inelegant and exhausting. —Sam Lee, The Athletic, 12 Dec. 2024

The arms are still the most inelegant part of the Focals, but that’s where most of the magic happens. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Oct. 2018

Jerry’s shock-and-awe ground invasion is positively inelegant compared to Cannon’s method of subjugating populations. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin inelegant-, inelegans, from in- + elegant-, elegans elegant

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

inelegant

adjective

in·​el·​e·​gant (ˈ)in-ˈel-i-gənt 

: lacking in grace or good taste

inelegantly adverb