inadequate
Americanadjective
-
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:
- imperfect, defective, incommensurate, incompetent, inapt, incomplete
- Antonyms:
- sufficient
-
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.
-
Psychiatry. ineffectual in response to emotional, social, intellectual, and physical demands in the absence of any obvious mental or physical deficiency.
adjective
-
not adequate; insufficient
-
not capable or competent; lacking
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inadequate
Explanation
Something inadequate doesn't cut it. If you lack just a few centimeters to reach the low mark on the wooden sign, your height is inadequate for riding the big roller coaster. Wear heels next time. The Latin root of adequate means "equal to," so inadequate refers to things that aren't equal to what is expected or needed. Something can be naturally inadequate, as in "inadequate rainfall to stop the fire," or it can result from lack of effort, as when someone avoids a question: "Your response was totally inadequate. Tell me what really happened."
Vocabulary lists containing inadequate
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Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
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"When Do Kids Become Adults?" Vocabulary from the argument
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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.
A succession of inadequate field generals—notably William Howe, John Burgoyne, Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis—round out the portrait.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
The giant bowl holds in the atmosphere well, but you have to get in first and that is not helped by possibly the most inadequate signage I have ever come across at a World Cup.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
The cancellation could be for any reason: “bad weather, mechanical problem, inadequate staffing, scheduling snafus, etc.,” said Teresa Murray, consumer-watchdog director at the U.S.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
“The students were not achieving. There was red bleeding throughout the entire report,” she said, referring to the color of the indicators representing inadequate achievement levels.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
I looked up when he said this, startled by such a pathetically inadequate observation.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
