weaponised incompetence

A form of weaponized incompetence — A behavioral tactic where a person intentionally pretends to be incapable or performs tasks poorly in order to avoid responsibility and shift the workload to others.

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Meanings

nounweaponised incompetence (uncountable)
  1. UKnonstandarduncountableNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of weaponized incompetence.

    Weaponised incompetence is a non-clinical term that has gained traction over the past decade.

    2024 June 4, Kellie Scott, “What is weaponised incompetence and how does it affect sharing the load in the home?”, in ABC News
Cite this entry
APA

weaponised incompetence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weaponised%20incompetence

MLA

“weaponised incompetence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weaponised%20incompetence. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weaponised incompetence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weaponised%20incompetence.

Source: weaponised incompetence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.