poorly skilled

USAGE SUMMARY

"poorly skilled" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who lacks proficiency or expertise in a particular area. Example: "The team struggled because they were poorly skilled in project management." Alternative expressions include "lacking skills," "inexperienced," and "unskilled."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

In the UK, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NICE Cancer Services Guidancece (2004) underlined the need for cancer care practitioners to develop skills in communication generally, and noted professionals may be poorly skilled in communicating effectively in ethnically diverse settings.

British Journal of Cancer

Too many poorly skilled workers also make for lacklustre productivity.

The Economist

Bank of Madura's employees are poorly skilled and averse to change.

The Economist

The usual answer is a litany of whinges: short-sighted financiers, poorly skilled workers, the wrong exchange rate, too little state support, or low-wage competition from abroad.

The Economist

Though such a mandate invokes populist notions of shared responsibility, most economists think it a bad idea because it will hit firms employing poorly skilled workers the hardest.

The Economist

Those that do often require a clean record for several years... Child-support rules also discourage poorly skilled men from working.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

But a poorly-skilled labour force, in which illiteracy exceeds 35%, makes for dismally low productivity.

The Economist

Bosses are to be exhorted to train their poorly-skilled employees, with Sir Digby monitoring their progress; and if exhortation fails, they should be forced.

The Economist

Test results for primary schools, out on December 7th, show that younger children are still failing to meet government targets in English and maths.That still leaves the problem of the poorly-skilled already in the workforce.

The Economist

One possibility is that technology and/or globalisation is leading to a two-tier labour market in which the poorly-skilled either find it more difficult to get jobs, or can only get jobs at a rate they feel is not worth the effort.

The Economist

It may also be worthwhile in finding out the performance attribute of real-time data collected from rarely studied systems on accidents such as maintenance functions as much as accidents appear to be due to poor maintenance actions in organisations probably due to inefficiency, poorly trained skilled workers some other causes.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Place it before a noun as a compound modifier or after a linking verb to describe a subject's state.

Common error

Avoid using "poor skilled" as an adjective phrase. Since "skilled" is an adjective, it must be modified by the adverb "poorly". Using the adjective form "poor" in this context is ungrammatical and sounds colloquial or incorrect in formal writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "poorly skilled" functions as an adjective phrase composed of the adverb "poorly" and the past participle "skilled". In Ludwig, it is seen both as an attributive modifier (e.g., "poorly skilled workers") and as a predicative adjective (e.g., "the staff are poorly skilled"). Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is standard English and adheres to all grammatical rules.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

3%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "poorly skilled" is a precise and grammatically correct adjective phrase used to describe a lack of proficiency or training. According to Ludwig AI, it is a staple of formal journalism and scientific research, particularly in discussions regarding labor markets, healthcare competencies and educational outcomes. It is distinct from synonyms like "<a href="/s/unskilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">unskilled" because it implies a low level of proficiency rather than a total absence of skills. Writers should ensure they use the adverbial form "poorly" rather than the adjective "poor" to maintain professional standards. With its frequent appearance in sources like The Economist and The Guardian, it is a reliable choice for serious analytical writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

low-skilled

Often refers to a specific socioeconomic classification in labor statistics

unskilled

Suggests a total lack of specialized training rather than just a low level of skill

under-skilled

Implies the skill level is below what is required for a specific task

poorly qualified

Focuses on the lack of formal credentials or certifications

inadequately trained

Attributes the lack of skill specifically to insufficient instruction

lacking proficiency

Uses a more formal noun-based construction to describe the deficit

ill-equipped

A more figurative way to suggest a lack of necessary tools or skills

untrained

Suggests a complete absence of formal learning

inexperienced

Focuses on the lack of time spent in a field rather than the skill level itself

less-skilled

A comparative term used when measuring against a more proficient group

FAQs

How to use poorly skilled in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a group or individual, such as: "The economy struggled because many workers were "poorly skilled" for the new digital roles."

What can I say instead of poorly skilled?

Depending on the context, you might use terms like "<a href="/s/low-skilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">low-skilled", "<a href="/s/unskilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">unskilled" or "<a href="/s/under-skilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">under-skilled".

Which is correct, poorly skilled or poor skilled?

"poorly skilled" is the correct form. Using "<a href="/s/poor+skilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">poor skilled" is incorrect because an adverb is required to modify an adjective.

What's the difference between poorly skilled and low-skilled?

While similar, "<a href="/s/low-skilled" target="_blank" rel="alternative">low-skilled" is often a technical term in economics, whereas "poorly skilled" can be used more generally to describe a lack of proficiency in any specific task.