1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
inelegant teens still learning how to act at formal events
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste
inelegant furniture that looked like it belonged in a budget motel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inelegant
That process is genial and inelegant in equal measure.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2024
The best Korean moisturizers and sunscreens introduced an American audience to the possibilities beyond staid formulations and inelegant sun protection, offering brand-new active ingredients, playful packaging, and innovative technology.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2024
In practice, these features are a bit wonky and inelegant.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2024
Until recently, most observers were willing to settle for an accurate but inelegant description: that the countries are neither friends nor foes.
—Minxin Pei, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2014
See all Example Sentences for inelegant 
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2024
The best Korean moisturizers and sunscreens introduced an American audience to the possibilities beyond staid formulations and inelegant sun protection, offering brand-new active ingredients, playful packaging, and innovative technology.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2024
In practice, these features are a bit wonky and inelegant.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2024
Until recently, most observers were willing to settle for an accurate but inelegant description: that the countries are neither friends nor foes.
—Minxin Pei, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2014
See all Example Sentences for inelegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inelegant
Adjective
-
Commenters pointed out that such a request was highly inappropriate and could have put the driver in an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Healthy arrogance is a term that makes some people uncomfortable.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Louden does and says things that are inappropriate in the film.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
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Many thought her outfit choice was inappropriate for such a historic occasion in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Relentless, hi-def gore is The Monkey’s greatest achievement, but all the blood-spatter in the world couldn’t redeem its clumsy plotting, frat-boy humor, and feigned memento mori.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2025
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Game to game, characters like the speedy Pete Wheeler or clumsy Angela Delvecchio were true to their traits across each release.—
Jake Lang,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Many of those who have lost insurance missed form deadlines or had an incorrect address, while others no longer met the eligibility criteria.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Wednesday's edition included incorrect information about King's votes.—
Tony Holt,
arkansasonline.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Comfortable familiarity and an awkward desire to escape co-exist like the two quotes at the start, both true in incongruous harmony.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2025
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Where some toiletry bags end up having an awkward shape that won’t easily fit into your luggage, these are the opposite.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The following year, regulators ruled that the company is unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision.—
Yessar Rosendar,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bochner began working in the wake of Abstract Expressionism, whose emphasis on artistic genius, painterly excellence, and formalism left many of his generation feeling uneasy.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
14 Feb. 2025
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Arms control advocates, as well as a significant portion of liberal policymakers, fear doing so undermines the uneasy trust of mutual vulnerability and encourages nuclear foes to develop dangerous new technologies to defeat defense systems.—
Davis Winkie,
USA TODAY,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There were also dozens more Baroque paintings, many dating to the seventeenth century and acquired in the nineteen-eighties and nineties, when such works were unfashionable.—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
22 July 2024
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Frisco hooded peacoat: $15.19 Dog coats don’t need to be unfashionable.—
Christopher Murray,
Fox News,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near inelegant
Cite this Entry
“Inelegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inelegant. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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