- lacking professional skill or expertise
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
am•a•teur•ish /ˌæməˈtʃʊrɪʃ, -ˈtʃɜr-, -ˈtɜr-/USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- unskillful;
unprofessional;
inexperienced:amateurish paintings.
am•a•teur•ish
(am′ə chŏŏr′ish, -chûr′-, -tyŏŏr′-, -tûr′-),USA pronunciation adj.
am′a•teur′ish•ly, adv.
am′a•teur′ish•ness, n.
- characteristic of an amateur, esp. in having the faults or deficiencies of an amateur;
inept:Though an enthusiastic violinist, he gave an amateurish performance.
- amateur + -ish1 1860–65
am′a•teur′ish•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
amateurish /ˈæmətərɪʃ; -tʃər-; -ˌtʃʊər-; ˌæməˈtɜːrɪʃ/ adj
'amateurish' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
amateur
- garage band
- amateurism
- beside
- bush league
- homemade
- patzer
- quasi-amateurish
- rinky-dink
- unprofessional
- skillful
- stink