ill-equipped
Americanadjective
-
badly or inadequately equipped.
an ill-equipped army.
-
ill-prepared.
a student ill-equipped to begin calculus.
Etymology
Origin of ill-equipped
First recorded in 1955–60
Explanation
Someone or something that's ill-equipped isn't suited or prepared to do a certain task. If you faint at the sight of blood, you're probably ill-equipped to be a surgeon. Soldiers without weapons or armor are ill-equipped for battle, and if you don't have an umbrella or a raincoat, you're ill-equipped for walking to school in the pouring rain. You might also be emotionally or temperamentally ill-equipped. If you are afraid of heights, you are most likely ill-equipped to be a roofer. When someone's equipped, they have the proper equipment, and when you add the prefix ill-, it's clear they're lacking what they need.
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.
The problem is that the governance structures in these companies are adolescent at best, ill-equipped to handle their rapid rate of revenue growth, their evolving business models, and their swiftly changing capital structures.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
State agencies, however, were ill-equipped to accommodate the order.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
He claimed Dale was "ill-equipped" for the prison environment and more vulnerable than others.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
If you do end up with an ill-equipped manager, there are likely lessons to be learned from that experience, too, as you move to find a better fit elsewhere.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
The tragedy of the Moriori resembles many other such tragedies in both the modern and the ancient world, pitting numerous well-equipped people against few ill-equipped opponents.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
