unskillfully

adverb

as in poorly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unskillfully
  1. poorly
  2. ineptly
  3. inefficiently
  4. incompetently
  5. artlessly
Adverb
  • That assumption aged poorly as AA’s competitor Delta Air Lines made seatback screens based on cheaper, lighter hardware part of its standard experience.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Toxicologist Fernández has stayed in touch with his patient and still winces about how Mark feared reporting the crime to the police could reflect poorly on him professionally.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • The collapse of the Constitution’s balance of powers between three branches of government got us into an unneeded war conducted ineptly.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Dancing the Poznan really ineptly, mind you, but dancing nonetheless.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of ineptly
Adverb
  • This polymer absorbs light inefficiently and breaks down quickly under continuous use.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • One problem that comes to mind with a fridge using two large access doors is the potential to bleed cold air and run inefficiently given the extra set of seams.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Definition of inefficiently
Adverb
  • As was mentioned in your editorial, the Broward school district has been incompetently managed, wasteful and corrupt for years.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The information the city provided to win passage of a ballot measure in 2022 allowing this fee was incompetently inaccurate.
    — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of incompetently
Adverb
  • Lines that seem artlessly off-the-cuff on first pass accrue an unexpected weight and purpose the fourth time through; the countrified guitar lick that sounds so chipper at the start of a song is dripping with melancholy by the end.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
Definition of artlessly
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.

Browse Nearby Words

unskillful
unskillfully
unskillfulness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unskillfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unskillfully. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All