incompetent

incompetent — adjective

1. lacking the necessary skills or abilities to carry out a job or task successfull

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

lacking the necessary skills or abilities to carry out a job or task successfully

Example

The new manager was so incompetent that the whole team missed the project deadline.

so + adjective + that + clause (expressing result)

Mauricio felt incompetent when he could not repair the kitchen tap himself.

Common collocations
  • incompetent at one's job
  • incompetent in one's role
  • hopelessly incompetent
  • utterly incompetent
Synonyms
  • inept

    Carries a stronger sense of clumsiness or awkwardness — an inept speaker fumbles even when knowledgeable

  • unskilled

    Focuses on lack of training rather than inherent inability; more neutral

  • incapable

    Suggests a lack of power or ability to do something specific rather than a broad lack of qualification

  • unqualified

    Focuses on lacking formal credentials or specific requirements for a position

Antonyms
  • competent

    Having the necessary skills and ability

  • capable

    Having the power or ability to do something well

Usage Note

Can describe a person directly (an incompetent manager) or a person's actions (an incompetent attempt). Also used after linking verbs: feel incompetent, seem incompetent, prove incompetent.

Common Mistakes

He is incompetent of doing the job.
He is incompetent for the job.' or 'He is incompetent to do the job.
'Incompetent' is followed by 'for' + noun or 'to' + infinitive, not 'of' + gerund.
She was incompetent to pass the test.
She was unable to pass the test.
'Incompetent' refers to a general lack of skill for a role or repeated tasks, not a one-time failure.

incompetent — noun

Word family

  • incompetence
    nounB2
  • incompetently
    adverbC1
  • incompetency
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Incompetent suggests a person consistently fails to meet the basic standards of a job or role due to a lack of skill, judgment, or ability. Inept also describes poor performance but carries a stronger sense of clumsiness or awkwardness — an inept public speaker might fumble through a speech even if well-prepared. Incapable means lacking the inherent power or ability for something specific (incapable of violence), whereas incompetent implies failing to meet an expected standard (incompetent at managing a team). Unskilled simply means without training or experience (an unskilled labourer), which can be neutral rather than critical. Unqualified focuses on lacking formal credentials: someone may be an excellent teacher but unqualified to teach in a particular country. In practice: 'The accountant was incompetent — every report contained errors.' 'He was unskilled at carpentry but learned quickly on the job.' 'She was incapable of lying, even to protect herself.'

incompetent ↗ineptincapableunskilledunqualified

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin incompetentem, meaning 'not adequate', formed from the prefix in- ('not') and competentem ('meeting together, agreeing, being suitable'). The word entered English in the early 1600s, originally referring to something not sufficient or adequate for a purpose. The sense of a person lacking skill for a role developed soon after.