adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪld
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N S K IH1 L D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of a job: not requiring skill or training.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of a made object: inexpertly made or showing a lack of skill.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
unskilled in the art of rhetoric
an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber
unskilled labor
workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities
unskilled workmanship
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: skilled
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
not doing a good job
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
incompetent at chess
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: incompetent
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
lacking professional skill or expertise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a very amateurish job
inexpert but conscientious efforts
an unskilled painting
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: amateurish, amateur, inexpert
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English skill Old English -ed Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz Old English -od Middle English -ed English -ed English skilled English unskilled From un- + skilled.
Across languages
Translations
22 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bengali:
বেওয়াকেফ
(beōẇakeph)
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Bulgarian:
неквалифициран
(nekvalificiran)
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Esperanto:
mallerta
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Finnish:
ammattitaidoton
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Greek:
ανειδίκευτος
(aneidíkeftos)
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Ancient Greek:
ἄτεχνος
(átekhnos)
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Hungarian:
szakképzetlen
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Hungarian:
segéd-
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Italian:
imperito
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Italian:
inesperto
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Italian:
incompetente
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Italian:
impreparato
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Italian:
sprovveduto
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Latin:
iners
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Māori:
ninipa
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Spanish:
no especializado
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Spanish:
inexperto
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Spanish:
sin cualificaciones
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Spanish:
inhábil
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Tagalog:
asiwa
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Turkish:
beceriksiz
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
Turkish:
yeteneksiz
— of a person or workforce: not having a skill or technical training
