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ill-prepared

American  
[il-pri-paird] / ˈɪl prɪˈpɛərd /

adjective

  1. badly or inadequately prepared or trained.

    ill-prepared job applicants; The hotel was ill-prepared for so many guests.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Isn’t there supposed to be an Olympics on the way for which the city appears ill-prepared?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Europe has wide "shortfalls" in its military capabilities which leave it "ill-prepared" as the war in Ukraine grinds on, a new report said Tuesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Gifted prospects are routinely sacrificed on crummy franchises ill-prepared to develop or even protect them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

In their study — titled “How Much Are Emergency Expenses for Retirees and Are They Prepared?” — researchers Manita Rao and Anqi Chen reached a sobering conclusion: Many retirees are ill-prepared to handle unexpected expenses.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 23, 2026

Constance asked, launching into a tirade about how ill-prepared they were, how little time they had, and how this plan was giving her a worse headache than the hidden-message broadcasts did.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart