1
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill
an unskilled handling of the facial features in the portrait explains why it is attributed to "school of Velázquez" and not to the master himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incompetent
lacking qualities (as knowledge, skill, or ability) required to do a job
hired unskilled workers because they would work for lower wages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unskilled
With a background in education, Westhoff and Masood came up with the idea of a hybrid, online and offline, academy that would train up unskilled workers - many of them migrants - who might otherwise be working in fast food outlets or for delivery firms.
—
Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Fritz could acquire land near the city, hire both skilled and unskilled labor, and insert his new company in the trade and finance links the city had with the outside world, thanks to the social capital present in the city and his access to it.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024
The researchers use a number of examples: the toolmaking done by our primate relatives, asking unskilled humans to make a stone tool, and random chipping of rocks.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 18 June 2024
While the industrialists did become richer at a faster rate than the average laborer, unskilled workers also experienced significant increases in wealth due to the industrial economy.
—Jacob Swartz, Orange County Register, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for unskilled 
Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Fritz could acquire land near the city, hire both skilled and unskilled labor, and insert his new company in the trade and finance links the city had with the outside world, thanks to the social capital present in the city and his access to it.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024
The researchers use a number of examples: the toolmaking done by our primate relatives, asking unskilled humans to make a stone tool, and random chipping of rocks.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 18 June 2024
While the industrialists did become richer at a faster rate than the average laborer, unskilled workers also experienced significant increases in wealth due to the industrial economy.
—Jacob Swartz, Orange County Register, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for unskilled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskilled
Adjective
-
Skakel lobbied for a retrial on various grounds over the years but was denied until 2013, when a Connecticut judge upheld his assertion that his previous defense had been incompetent.Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
-
These are usually people with severe mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders or developmental disabilities who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial.Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But that also would mean keeping the grossly unfit Patel from being confirmed.Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Dec. 2024
-
In April, the indictment says, Feldstein failed a Shin Bet security-clearance check and was found unfit to handle highly classified material.Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Its own military is incapable of doing so—Iran specializes in irregular warfare and its conventional forces are weak and largely ineffective.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
-
In future cases, guardians will have to prove that a person is incapable of voting — not the other way around.Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unskilled
Cite this Entry
“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskilled. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share