inadequate

adjective

(ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət How to pronounce inadequate (audio)
Definition of inadequatenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inadequate The response from Giants president and Hall of Fame catcher Buster Posey was considered inadequate. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 When researchers disaggregate the mortality gap between the United States and peer nations, the story that emerges is not one of inadequate primary care access. — Christopher P. Childers, STAT, 10 July 2026 At the March sentencing hearing, Stephens’ widow lambasted the plea deal as inadequate. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 The landmark Ockenden report, led by maternity expert Donna Ockenden, found that over a 13-year period more than 500 mothers and babies died or came to harm due to inadequate care over a 13-year period in just one hospital trust. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
  1. lacking
  2. insufficient
  3. scarce
  4. low
Adjective
  • Despite severely lacking resources, the monuments men and women were able to find and retrieve more than five million items, many of them artworks that had been stolen by the Axis forces.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
  • Furthermore, beware of any ancestral diet that is completely lacking in particular nutrients and the foods that bring them such as grains that bring fiber and different vitamins and minerals.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of lacking
Adjective
  • Conversely, there are moments throughout Pompeii where the trail goes cold due to insufficient documentation from 2,000 years ago, frustrating Hiddleston in the process.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • When controlling for traditional predictors of mortality, only smoking showed a stronger association with life expectancy than insufficient sleep.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of insufficient
Adjective
  • Rats are burrowing into aid parcels, forcing people to throw away scarce rice or flour supplies.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Managing scarcity through digital modeling While deuterium is highly abundant and easily extracted from standard seawater, tritium is exceedingly scarce in nature.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • Wall Street looked past geopolitics even as oil prices climbed on the back of lower-than-expected inflation figures that sent tech stocks higher.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • The results were consistent across most states lower rates of sleep insufficiency were associated with longer life expectancy.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of low

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Cite this Entry

“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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