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
- inadequacy noun
- inadequately adverb
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
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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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.
Regulators previously cited inadequate control in RP1’s clinical trial.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Evolutionary theory is no longer heretical, Galileo has been issued a hall pass to heaven, and quite a few sincere if entirely inadequate apologies have been issued, mostly to people long dead.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
People use social media to keep up with their friends and family, but teens can also feel inadequate, sad or anxious when they compare themselves to a curated version of other people’s lives online.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
But in February, a group of seven medical organisations said this would mean "inadequate scrutiny."
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Seeing Linus jumping up and down on the demonstration table and moving his arms like a magician about to pull a rabbit out of his shoe made them feel inadequate.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
