incompetence
/ɪnˈkɒmpɪtəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkɑːmpɪtəns/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)in-ˈkäm-pə-tən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
incompetence — 名詞
1. the condition of not having the skill, knowledge, or judgment that a job or task
無能
缺乏做好工作所需的技能
the condition of not having the skill, knowledge, or judgment that a job or task requires, so that the work is done poorly or wrongly — for instance, a manager who repeatedly misses deadlines because they cannot plan effectively, or a cashier who keeps giving the wrong change.
Patients were put at risk by the hospital's administrative incompetence, which caused lost medical records.
醫院的行政無能導致病歷遺失，讓病人暴露於風險之中。
collocation: administrative incompetence
Emeka lost his job after the company acknowledged his incompetence in managing the shipping schedule.
Emeka 的公司終於承認他在管理出貨排程上的無能，隨後他遭到了開除。
incompetence in + gerund phrase showing domain
The mayor's incompetence was so obvious that even his closest allies called for an investigation.
市長的無能太過明顯，連他最親密的盟友都要求展開調查。
Ana showed complete incompetence at the register, giving wrong change to three customers.
Ana 在收銀台前表現得完全無能，三位顧客都找錯了零錢。
The bridge collapsed when the engineer's incompetence caused a miscalculation of the load.
工程師的無能導致荷重計算錯誤，這座橋因而倒塌了。
- inability
Neutral and factual; simply means someone cannot do something, without the judgment that they should be able to
- ineptitude
Stronger and slightly less formal; suggests a laughable or embarrassing lack of basic skill
- inadequacy
Broader — can describe either a person's failing or a feeling of not being good enough
- competence
Direct opposite; having the necessary skill to do a job well
- proficiency
Suggests a practised, high level of ability beyond basic competence
文法句型
incompetence in + noun/gerund
incompetence at + noun/gerund
sheer/gross/widespread incompetence
用法筆記
Frequently appears with intensifying adjectives such as 'sheer', 'gross', 'complete', and 'widespread'. Unlike 'inability', which is neutral and can refer to a simple lack of capacity, 'incompetence' carries a critical judgment — it suggests the person ought to have been able to do the job but failed. Distinguished from sense 2 by the context (professional or task setting vs medical).
常見錯誤
2. a medical condition in which a valve, muscle ring, or organ in the body cannot c
功能不全
器官或瓣膜無法正常運作
a medical condition in which a valve, muscle ring, or organ in the body cannot close, pump, or perform its normal function — for example, a heart valve that lets blood flow in the wrong direction, or the ring of muscle at the top of the stomach that fails to keep acid from rising into the throat.
The doctor diagnosed Xin with mitral valve incompetence, meaning the valve could not close fully.
醫生診斷 Xin 患有二尖瓣功能不全，表示她的瓣膜無法完全閉合。
mitral valve incompetence — specific cardiology term
Gastric incompetence lets stomach acid rise into the throat, causing a burning chest pain.
胃賁門功能不全會讓胃酸上升到喉嚨，引起胸口灼痛。
Tariq's leg swelling was caused by venous incompetence in his lower leg.
Tariq 的腿部腫脹是由小腿的靜脈功能不全所引起。
Aortic incompetence makes the heart pump harder because some blood flows backward after each beat.
主動脈瓣功能不全迫使心臟更用力地泵血，因為每次心跳後都有部分血液倒流。
- insufficiency
Common alternative for valve or organ conditions; 'valvular insufficiency' and 'valvular incompetence' are often used interchangeably
- dysfunction
Broader term covering any abnormal organ behaviour, not limited to failure of closure or pumping
- regurgitation
Specific to valves that leak blood backward; narrower than incompetence
- competence
In medical contexts, 'competent' describes a valve or organ that works normally, e.g. 'a competent mitral valve'
文法句型
[organ/valve] incompetence
incompetence of the [organ]
用法筆記
Primarily a clinical term used by medical professionals in diagnoses, imaging reports, and patient consultations. Unlike sense 1, it carries no judgment — it describes a mechanical failure of a body part, not a failure of a person. Common in combinations with organ names: 'aortic incompetence', 'cervical incompetence' (in pregnancy), 'valvular incompetence'.