as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests
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Recent Examples of inadequate
Detainees claim they have been subjected to mold, disease, inadequate food and water, and systemic medical neglect.
—
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Chapell also found the number of phones accessible to detainees inadequate.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Corners are cut The $599 Neo comes with just 256 GB of storage, which for many is inadequate.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Workers told The Denver Post that they frequently get injured on the job, and that the company provides them with inadequate medical treatment.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Chapell also found the number of phones accessible to detainees inadequate.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Corners are cut The $599 Neo comes with just 256 GB of storage, which for many is inadequate.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Workers told The Denver Post that they frequently get injured on the job, and that the company provides them with inadequate medical treatment.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
Adjective
-
But the upper frequencies are still slightly lacking.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Loro Parque, a zoo on the island of Tenerife, offers a clean and safe environment, expert care and proper mental and social stimulation that Wikie and Keijo are desperately lacking.—
Valerie Greene,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Eric Lampkin-Scarborough, 19, was arrested for insufficient bonds related to a felony weapon charge and a misdemeanor evading arrest charge.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Companies competed for scarce workers with healthcare coverage when wages were frozen.—
Charles Edward Gehrke,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Details were scarce on when checks would arrive, and a political battle in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security continued in earnest Friday.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The agency now aspires to test one or both on an Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit in 2027, to be followed by a landing on Artemis IV in 2028.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
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Accessibility In accordance with Japan’s progressive rules for handicap accessibility, all floors are accessible with wide elevator access, lower level buttons reachable from wheelchairs, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms on the restaurant level.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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