Meaning & use
inadequate
Not enough, or not good enough, to meet a particular need or standard.
See it in a sentence
The old heating system proved inadequate during the coldest weeks of winter.
He felt inadequate compared to his more experienced colleagues on the project.
A note on using this word
Inadequate can describe a shortage of quantity or a lack of quality, and can also describe how a person feels about their own abilities.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
adequatesufficient
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inadequate”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.