Word of the Day: inept

The word inept has appeared in 53 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 23 in “On Christmas Day, No Rest for the Weary. (Or the Guy Who Feeds the Penguins.)” by Chris Colin:

Penguins possess a quiet if teetering dignity. Penguin chicks possess none. They are chubby orbs of fluff, inept, can’t even be trusted in water. Until that down is replaced by juvenile plumage, they’d sink like sweet little stones. But in captivity, they can live some 30 years, as much as twice their life span in the wild. They do need stimulation to keep them happy and healthy, and the biologists here break out laser pointers, blow bubbles and play colony sounds over an iPad.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word inept in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how inept can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.