INCOMPETENT    無能不肖

STUPID so as NOT to be ABLE to ACT:do DEFINED THINGS one SHOULD DO.
INEPTUNSKILLFULUNSKILLEDINEXPERTAMATEURISHUNPROFESSIONALBUNGLINGBLUNDERINGCLUMSYINADEQUATESUBSTANDARDINFERIORINEFFECTIVEDEFICIENTINEFFICIENTINEFFECTUALWANTINGLACKINGLEAVING MUCH TO BE DESIREDINCAPABLEUNFITUNQUALIFIEDINFORMAL USELESSPATHETICHAM-FISTEDNOT UP TO ITNOT UP TO SCRATCHBUSH LEAGUE
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The most current and general word for incompetence is bù xiào 不肖 (ant. xián 賢 "distinguished talent"). 2. Nú 駑 (ant. jùn 駿 "talented" and jùn 俊 "talented") refers prototypically to the lack of skills in a horse, but is often used metaphorically to refer to lack of outstanding talent in general. [see INFERIOR] 3. Duǎn 短 (ant. cháng 長 "of some excellence") refers to a distinct shortcoming in the form of a specific point of incompetence. 4. Zhuó 拙 refers - typically in polite discourse to one's own - ineptness. [see STUPID]
Modern Chinese Criteria
笨重 笨拙 無能 末學 晚生 不佞 不才 不慧 不肖 牛馬走 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Antonym
  • WISEINTELLIGENT IN-RELATION-TO what is MOST IMPORTANT for HUMAN LIFE.
Hypernym
  • STUPID　LACK APPROPRIATE INTELLIGENCE. (anc: 7/0, child: 2)
  • LACK　SITUATION OF NOT HAVING, OR NOT to BEING-IN the UNIVERSE. (anc: 6/0, child: 48)
  • SITUATION　RELATION in which MANY HUMANS, FEATURES OR THINGS EXIST TOGETHER OR INTERACT. (anc: 5/0, child: 11)
  • Chinese Synonyms Usage Dictionary ( TENG SHOU-HSIN 1996) p. 35

  • SYNONYMES FRANÇOIS, LEURS DIFFÉRENTES SIGNIFICATIONS, ET LE CHOIX QU'IL EN FAUT FAIRE Pour parler avec justesse ( GIRARD 1769) p. 2.393:263

    INSUFFISANCE.INCAPACITE.INAPTITUDE

  • A New Dictionary of Classical Greek Synonyms ( T.W.HARBSMEIER 2004) p. NO.887

    • Words (15 items)

    不肖  bù xiào OC: pɯʔ smews MC: pi̯ut siɛu 56 Attributions

    The most current and general word for incompetence is bù xiào 不肖 (ant. xián 賢 "distinguished talent").

      Word relations
    • Ant: 德/VIRTUE The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation; but this word has many other philosophically important meanings.
    • Ant: 明/INTELLIGENT Míng 明 (ant. àn 闇 "obfuscated in one's mind"), taking its analogy from sharpness of vision, typically refers to clarity of insight at all levels.
    • Ant: 賢/EXCELLENT
    • Ant: 德/TALENT Dé 德 "political charisma; moral integrity" refers especially to the higher talents of the sage or the sage ruler and may perhaps be usefully compared in this synonym group. See VIRTUE.
    • Ant: 聖/HERO Shèng 聖 (ant. fán 凡 "ordinary person") focusses on the hero as possessed of very great superior creativity and wisdom, and the word is mostly expanded to shèng rén 聖人.
    • Ant: 聖賢/WISE
    • Ant: 賢良/EXCELLENT
    • Assoc: 愚/STUPID The dominant word is yú 愚 (ant. zhì 智 "clever; wise"), and the word refers to intellectual obtuseness as well as practical ineptitude.

      Syntactic words
    • NPab.cincompetence; unworthiness; point of incompetence
    • VP[adN]N=humthe incompetent (persons); the unworthy
    • VPadNincompetent; of no moral worth 不肖主
    • VPigradedbe unworthy, be worthless; be useless; be incompetent; be of no moral worth 甚不肖
    • VPtoNputativeregard as incompetent
    不才  bù cái OC: pɯʔ sɡɯɯ MC: pi̯ut dzəi 25 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabfeatureincompetence
    • VP[adN](by litotes:) the incompetent
    • VPadN(by litotes:) incompetent (marked and unmarked by 之) 不才子 "good-for-nothing"
    • VPihave no particular talents; (by litotes:) be incompetent; be entirely devoid of ability, be devoid of talent
    不能  bù néng OC: pɯʔ nɯɯŋ MC: pi̯ut nəŋ 22 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Ant: 善/EXCELLENT Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action.

      Syntactic words
    • NP{vt{NEG}+V(.adN)}nonreferentialthose who are incompetent
    • VPibe incompetent
    • VPt+prep+Nbe more incompetent than N; be less able than N; be less powerful than N
    不敏  bù mǐn OC: pɯʔ mrɯŋʔ MC: pi̯ut min 14 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NP[adN]litotesthe incompetent person (NOT: not particularly talented, but: "devoid of all talent"
    • NPab[adN]N=actmoral incompetence; lack of diligent competence
    • VPilitotesbe incompetent (typically used in polite speech of oneself)
    短  duǎn OC: toonʔ MC: tʷɑn 11 Attributions

    Duǎn 短 (ant. cháng 長 "of some excellence") refers to a distinct shortcoming in the form of a specific point of incompetence.

      Word relations
    • Ant: 長/EXCELLENT Yōu 優 (ant. liè 劣 "inferior") and cháng 長 (ant. duǎn 短 "of lesser quality") refers to a distinct advantage in excellence compared with some reference group or some point of reference.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfeatureshortcoming, weakness, weak points
    • vigradedweak with respect to something
    • vt+prep+Nstativelack the ability to, be bad at
    • vtoNstativebe bad at; be deficient in; fall short in
    不肖者  bù xiào zhě OC: pɯʔ smews kljaʔ MC: pi̯ut siɛu tɕɣɛ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPindefiniteabstractly: the incompetent
    • NPpluraldefine: the incompetentCH
    拙  zhuō OC: kljod MC: tɕiɛt 4 Attributions

    Zhuó 拙 refers - typically in polite discourse to one's own - ineptness. See STUPID

      Syntactic words
    • v[adN]the incompetentCH
    • vadNinept; incompetentCH
    • vibe inept; be incompetent and artlessCH
    小才  xiǎo cái OC: smewʔ sɡɯɯ MC: siɛu dzəi 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NP{vadN1(.adN2)}subject=humanperson of low talent
    不賢者  bù xián zhě OC: pɯʔ ɡiin kljaʔ MC: pi̯ut ɦen tɕɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPnonreferentialthe unworthy
    長短  cháng duǎn OC: ɡrlaŋ toonʔ MC: ɖi̯ɐŋ tʷɑn 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPabfeatureinability to do what one is supposed to do > weak points
    無能  wú néng OC: ma nɯɯŋ MC: mi̯o nəŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VP[adN]the incapableCH
    • VPadNwithout abilities, incompetent
    惡  è OC: qaaɡ MC: ʔɑk 1 Attribution

      Word relations
    • Ant: 善/EXCELLENT Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfeatureincompetence
    罷不能  pí bù néng MC: bje pjut noj OC: bral pɯʔ nɯɯŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VP[adN]incompetent personsLZ
    駑  nú OC: naa MC: nuo̝ 0 Attributions

    Nú 駑 (ant. jùn 駿"talented" and jùn 俊 "talented") refers prototypically to the lack of skills in a horse, but is often used metaphorically to refer to lack of outstanding talent in general. [see INFERIOR]

      Syntactic words
    小  xiǎo OC: smewʔ MC: siɛu 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadNof little talent