jackleg 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjak-ˌleg How to pronounce jackleg (audio)
Definition of jacklegnext
1
as in amateur
being such only for recreation a toolshed that can be built by any jackleg carpenter who's capable of hitting a nail without smashing his thumb

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in inexperienced
lacking or showing a lack of expert skill he did such a jackleg installation of that door frame that now the door won't shut

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards a jackleg lawyer whose clients consist mainly of drug dealers and child molesters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jackleg

2 of 2

noun

as in kid
a person who lacks experience and competence in an art or science you can't rely on a bunch of jacklegs to run your dairy farm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jackleg
  1. amateur
  2. inexperienced
  3. corrupt
  4. kid
  5. degraded
  6. beginner
  7. sick
Adjective
  • The world of June Marple, the elderly amateur detective Christie featured in a dozen novels and 20 short stories, is considerably quainter.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This new class of flamethrowing amateur diplomats has little reason to pursue the humdrum work of nurturing ties.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of amateur
Adjective
  • Right tackle Joe Alt (neck) and left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula) remain out, meaning rookie center Jake Slaughter will continue to anchor a front that has featured several inexperienced players over the last two games.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • These experienced and skilled athletes, who are often 22 or 23 years old, are appealing to coaches, especially when compared with inexperienced and physically less developed freshmen.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Democrats are strongly opposed to the kind of corrupt authoritarian government that Republicans seem unwilling to even speak out against.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The policy aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
    — KANIS LEUNG, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Noun
  • The South is cheapest for young kids For families with young children, annual costs are lowest across much of the South.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped in London in 2024, the Prince of Wales wanted a photo with his kids and the world-famous singer.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of kid
Adjective
  • Design choices previously thought to boost power, such as widening the gap between electrodes, actually degraded performance under true operating conditions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Initially, Pike’s attorneys and several death penalty experts raised the possibility that the drugs may have been too old or degraded to work as intended.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of degraded
Noun
  • Classes range from beginner-friendly lessons, like learning how to use a machine, to teaching intermediate skills, like hemming pants or installing a zipper.
    — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Ski Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is one of the hardest mountains in North America, with only 10 percent of its terrain meant for beginners.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginner
Adjective
  • Grape expectations In 2020, macaques in an enclosure at the sanctuary started getting sick with an HIV-like virus called SRV.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Or calling in sick from work even when the doctor cleared you to return in the new year.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

jackknives
jackleg
jacklegs
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Jackleg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jackleg. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All