inadequate

[ in-ad-i-kwit ]

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!

   Synonyms: imperfect, defective, incommensurate, incompetent, inapt, incomplete

   Antonyms: sufficient

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.

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

inadequate

/ ɪnˈædɪkwɪt /

adjective

1. not adequate; insufficient
2. not capable or competent; lacking

Derived Forms

• inˈadequately, adverb
• inˈadequacy, noun

Other Words From

• in·ad·e·quate·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of inadequate¹

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

Example Sentences

Results that misfire in the same direction suggest that adjustments to sampling methodologies were inadequate or ineffective for pollsters in seeking to reach Trump backers of all stripes.

From Salon

And when Gen Z and Millennials — who spend so much of their time on these platforms — are bombarded with these highlight reels, it’s easy for them to feel inadequate and anxious about their finances.

From Salon

"This has profound implications for retirement planning, as it is likely to mean that savers may end up using already inadequate pension pots to clear a mortgage balance."

From BBC

If the quarterback was “incredible,” how inadequate did the rest of the offense have to be for it to be shut down like that?

From Los Angeles Times

The report concluded the FCA was "incompetent at best, dishonest at worst", that its actions were "slow and inadequate" and that its leaders were "opaque and unaccountable".

From BBC

Related Words

• deficient
• faulty
• incompetent
• incomplete
• lacking
• meager
• poor
• sad
• scarce
• sketchy
• skimpy
• unequal
• weak