skill issue

Syllables: skill is·sueUK/ˈskɪl ˌɪsjuː//ˈskɪl ˌɪʃ(j)u/

skill issue noun: a lack of skill at a game.

Noun

skill issue (plural skill issues)

(ironic, slang, sometimes) A lack of skill at a game.
- —Dude, they nerfed my main and now I can't win any games! —Sounds like a skill issue lol
- Perhaps regarded as one of her funniest lines, she can taunt the enemy after eliminating them by saying, "Wow, cringe," in a fittingly condescending tone. Some other voice lines include, "It's a skill issue," "Enjoy that killcam," "Now they're just feeding," and "Outplayed."2022 October 21, Joanna Koziol, “D.Va Is Overwatch 2's Most Toxic Character”, in Screen Rant, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2022
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see skill, issue (i.e., a skill deficiency in other domains).
- They have her training new hires pretty heavily, and the rampant skill issues are shaking her faith in the educational system.

(ironic, slang, sometimes) Suggesting that a player is merely making excuses for a loss.
- Those players who have ever taken to TikTok to complain about bugs and gameplay issues in a game will often be met with the reply "Skill Issue."2022 November 11, Rebecca Smith, “What Does 'Skill Issue' Mean on TikTok and in Gaming?”, in GameRevolution, archived from the original on 28 Nov 2022

Let me be the first to say, this is a 'skill issue' of course, but ultimately, I just thought my zombies would be stronger.2022 December 27, Dean Clark, “THE UNLIVING First Impression: Feeling Weak Behind My Forces”, in GameTyrant, archived from the original on...
Some users may state that this is a 'skill issue.' However, seeing so many players complain about their skill mismatch and inability to win a single match is somewhat concerning.2023 January 2, Matthew Wilkins, “Is Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 the sweatiest season ever?”, in Sportskeeda, archived from the original on...

plural	skill issues

Literally skill + issue (the issue is related to one's skill); popularized as a general insult around 2020.

What does skill issue mean?: Skill issue means a lack of skill at a game.
How do you use skill issue in a sentence?: Let me be the first to say, this is a 'skill issue' of course, but ultimately, I just thought my zombies would be stronger.
What part of speech is skill issue?: Skill issue can be a noun or an interjection.
How do you pronounce skill issue?: Skill issue is pronounced /ˈskɪl ˌɪsjuː/ (UK).
What is the plural of skill issue?: The plural of skill issue is skill issues.

Adapted from Wiktionary: skill issue (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-skill issue.wav.

Cite this entry: “skill issue.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/skill_issue. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.