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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inadequate
Too much laughter may cause laugh syncope, a rare condition characterized by a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone due to inadequate blood flow to the brain.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Growth changes the conditions, and systems that once felt efficient can quickly become inadequate.
—Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
Playing fast and loose with federal funds could reflect an issue within a singular agency — inadequate leadership, bad direction or rogue bureaucrats, for example.
—Steve Arentz, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Unfortunately, supervising a drone is more akin to air traffic control than actually flying an aircraft, so the military often placed drone operators in critical roles with inadequate preparation.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Growth changes the conditions, and systems that once felt efficient can quickly become inadequate.
—Essence, 3 Mar. 2026
Playing fast and loose with federal funds could reflect an issue within a singular agency — inadequate leadership, bad direction or rogue bureaucrats, for example.
—Steve Arentz, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Unfortunately, supervising a drone is more akin to air traffic control than actually flying an aircraft, so the military often placed drone operators in critical roles with inadequate preparation.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
Adjective
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And don’t give me the lacking pass protection nonsense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
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But Bob is historically tardy and his research and prep work is historically always pretty lacking.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The mall had insufficient exterior lighting, the city said, and graffiti resulting from deferred or neglected maintenance.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Scientists found that the number of high schoolers getting insufficient sleep — less than seven hours a night — has increased from 69% to 77%.—
Berly McCoy,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When the price of something scarce—concert tickets, Saturday night tables, theme park rides—is set far below what the market would naturally bear, the scarcity doesn’t disappear.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Ukraine is hoping to trade that know-how for scarce Patriot missiles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kelly Clarkson Home Valentin Striped Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug Powerloomed for durability, this low-pile rug works well both outdoors on a patio or indoors in high-traffic areas like mudrooms.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
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ValenSil serves as a microcosm of a broader shift in the US labor market to a low-hire, low-fire environment that is likely to be highlighted when the February jobs report is released Friday morning.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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