maladjusted

American  

[mal-uh-juhs-tid] / ˌmæl əˈdʒʌs tɪd /

adjective

1. badly or unsatisfactorily adjusted, especially in relationship to one's social circumstances, environment, etc.

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maladjusted British  

/ ˌmæləˈdʒʌstɪd /

adjective

1. psychol suffering from maladjustment

2. badly adjusted

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Etymology

Origin of maladjusted

First recorded in 1880–85; mal- + adjusted

Explanation

Someone who's maladjusted has a hard time coping with life's challenges and difficulties. If you're maladjusted at school, you just can't seem to fit in with your fellow students or figure out what your teachers expect from you. Maladjusted people can't deal with fairly ordinary stresses and trials, or they can't get along with other people. You might feel socially maladjusted if you move to a new country that's culturally very different from your home, for example. Sometimes this adjective is used to describe a system, like the economy, to emphasize how unstable it is: "This maladjusted economy is creating a society of haves and have-nots."

Example Sentences

"Numerous studies have disproven these myths that only children are maladjusted, spoiled, and lonely," explains Dr Adriean Mancillas, a psychologist and professor in California State University's education department.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

Her equally maladjusted parents, her close circle of blunt friends, her lovers and, most importantly, her children bring her the comfort that she has long been searching for.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

According to Davis, during the latter half of the 20th century, many Americans came to believe that divorce could be blamed for maladjusted children, poor educational outcomes, crime, poverty, and more.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2023

From the Western perspective, East Asians might appear excessively polite in their attention to social ties or could seem disengaged or even depressed or maladjusted in their ambivalence toward self-promotion and initiative.

From Scientific American • May 15, 2023

My mother can’t believe it: a living, breathing friend on the front porch for her maladjusted daughter!

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson