Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Lacking refinement or polish; not elegant.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Not elegant; ungraceful; unrefined; deficient in any quality required by correct taste.
- Synonyms Ungraceful, homely, plain, clumsy, ungainly, rough, awkward.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Not elegant; deficient in beauty, polish, refinement, grave, or ornament; wanting in anything which correct taste requires.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not
elegant ; not exhibitingneatness ,refinement , orprecision .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective lacking in refinement or grace or good taste
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I can understand what's being attempted with "93990" by George Saunders and the fact that it's inelegant is intentional with its mimicry of scientific papers.
REVIEW: The Secret History of Science Fiction edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel 2009
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Another situation, of many, that might result in inelegant design might be a a situation in which engineers are asked to make a quick fix to avert a catastrophe (ie an extinction?, recovery from an asteroid strike?), and then not being given time or resources to come up with a better solution after the crisisis is past.
Being Opportunistic 2005
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"If we can figure out how to build multiple layers of cells, then we’re one step closer to creating an organ, and the ability to make functioning tissue — even in inelegant little lumps would still be useful."
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RICHARDSON: I was called inelegant recently, maybe that's adequate.
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RICHARDSON: I was called inelegant recently, maybe that's adequate.
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He arose in the seat, applied his thumb to his nose, and vigorously and vivaciously waggled his outspread fingers at Cleggett in a gesture, derisive and inelegant, that is older than the pyramids.
The Cruise of the Jasper B. Don Marquis 1907
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I started scribbling - and noticed others doing the same -- a few times when Pawlenty veered into what you might call inelegant turns of phrase.
Politics Daily 2010
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He compares "inelegant" men to decimals as though being gauche makes them less than whole, "not quite zeros and not altogether numerals."
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The profile speaks here and there of Roberts '"inelegant" style.
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That any plug-in is kind of inelegant and the wrong way to be going about this.
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