ill-equipped

American  

[il-i-kwipt] / ˈɪl ɪˈkwɪpt /

adjective

1. badly or inadequately equipped.

   an ill-equipped army.

2. ill-prepared.

   a student ill-equipped to begin calculus.

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Etymology

Origin of ill-equipped

First recorded in 1955–60

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Explanation

Someone or something that's ill-equipped isn't suited or prepared to do a certain task. If you faint at the sight of blood, you're probably ill-equipped to be a surgeon. Soldiers without weapons or armor are ill-equipped for battle, and if you don't have an umbrella or a raincoat, you're ill-equipped for walking to school in the pouring rain. You might also be emotionally or temperamentally ill-equipped. If you are afraid of heights, you are most likely ill-equipped to be a roofer. When someone's equipped, they have the proper equipment, and when you add the prefix ill-, it's clear they're lacking what they need.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ill-equipped

If so, it will inevitably bring huge social and humanitarian disruption which the stricken island is ill-equipped to cope with.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Healthcare professionals “are often undertrained and ill-equipped in diagnosing elder abuse.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

An outbreak of digital attacks on U.S. water plants is stoking fears across party lines that budget cuts at the federal government’s primary cybersecurity agency could leave the nation ill-equipped to thwart global hackers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Unfortunately, clinicians are ill-equipped to predict who will need help.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Both of them overburdened and ill-equipped, weak by nature or circumstance, married to strong-willed, selfish men, addicted to the opiate of sleep.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

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Related Words

• impotent
• inadequate
• incapable
• ineligible
• unable
• unprepared
• unqualified
• useless

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