inadequate

[ in-ad-i-kwit ]
See synonyms for: inadequateinadequately on Thesaurus.com

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!

  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.

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

Origin of inadequate

1
First recorded in 1665–75; in-3 + adequate

Other words for inadequate

Opposites for inadequate

Other words from inadequate

  • in·ad·e·quate·ly, adverb

Words Nearby inadequate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inadequate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inadequate

inadequate

/ (ɪnˈædɪkwɪt) /


adjective
  1. not adequate; insufficient

  2. not capable or competent; lacking

Derived forms of inadequate

  • inadequacy, noun
  • inadequately, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012