imperfect Definition
- 1not perfect; faulty or incomplete
- 2of a tense, aspect, or mood, expressing a past action or state that is uncompleted
Using imperfect: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "imperfect" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The painting was beautiful but imperfect.
Example
His speech was imperfect due to his nervousness.
Example
The cake was delicious despite its imperfect appearance.
imperfect Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for imperfect
Phrases with imperfect
a verb tense used to describe an ongoing or repeated past action or state that has not been completed
Example
In the sentence 'I was walking,' 'was walking' is in the imperfect tense.
a market structure where there are many firms selling differentiated products, leading to non-uniform prices and profits
Example
The smartphone industry is an example of imperfect competition.
Example
The words 'love' and 'move' have an imperfect rhyme.
Origins of imperfect
from Latin 'imperfectus', meaning 'unfinished'
Summary: imperfect in Brief
The term 'imperfect' [ɪmˈpəːfɪkt] refers to something that is not perfect, either being faulty or incomplete. It can also refer to a verb tense that expresses an uncompleted past action or state. Examples include 'The painting was beautiful but imperfect' and 'His speech was imperfect due to his nervousness.' Other uses of 'imperfect' include 'imperfect competition,' a market structure with non-uniform prices, and 'imperfect rhyme,' where words have similar but not identical sounds.