inadequate

[ in-ad-i-kwit ]

adjective

1. not good enough for the purpose; inept or unsuitable:

   This old tent they gave us is completely inadequate—it’s equally bad at keeping out both the rain and the bugs!

   Synonyms: incomplete, imperfect, defective, incommensurate, incompetent, inapt

   Antonyms: sufficient

2. not sufficient for the purpose; not enough:

   The set of linens we received was so inadequate, we were asking friends for a loan of napkins and tablecloths.

3. Psychiatry. ineffectual in response to emotional, social, intellectual, and physical demands in the absence of any obvious mental or physical deficiency.

inadequate

/ ɪnˈædɪkwɪt /

adjective

1. not adequate; insufficient
2. not capable or competent; lacking

Derived Forms

• inˈadequately, adverb
• inˈadequacy, noun

Other Words From

• in·ad·e·quate·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of inadequate¹

First recorded in 1665–75; in- ³ + adequate

Example Sentences

She characterized the GOP plan as inadequate on multiple fronts.

From Washington Post

Ellington needs help raising inadequate salary levels and relieving the pressure of its big fundraising needs.

From Washington Post

Setting up such systems is a money- and labor-intensive process, no easy thing for public health departments facing inadequate funding and staffing while simultaneously fighting a once-in-a-generation pandemic.

From Time

The US vaccination effort has been disastrously delayed by limited supplies, an inadequate federal distribution plan, and the growing threat that more-transmissible variants of Covid-19 are spreading.

From Vox

City officials argue that day-care workers are still a high-priority group, but with an inadequate supply of vaccines, they are forced to make tough decisions.

From Washington Post

Obsessive exercising and inadequate nutrition can, over time, put people at high risk for overuse injuries like stress fractures.

From The Daily Beast

The city has taken inadequate steps or no steps at all to control the violent acts of its law-enforcement personnel.

From The Daily Beast

There was also the question of inadequate protective gear and insufficient instruction.

From The Daily Beast

The totally inadequate international response must shoulder blame as well.

From The Daily Beast

“There was a sense the response had been inadequate and slow,” Reed says.

From The Daily Beast

Every human being behind that absurdly inadequate wall was exposed to constant and equal danger.

From Project Gutenberg

Hilda's assumption that the ageing woman had telegraphed for her on inadequate grounds had proved to be quite wrong.

From Project Gutenberg

It goes no further than the denunciation of the peer, and the raising of a subscription (generally inadequate) for the sufferers.

From Project Gutenberg

That Determinist conclusion would be followed by the usual inadequate subscription.

From Project Gutenberg

One would be unwilling to press a certain lack of enthusiasm for their King, or a suspicion of inadequate generalship.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deficient
• faulty
• incompetent
• incomplete
• lacking
• meager
• poor
• sad
• scarce
• sketchy
• skimpy
• unequal
• weak