Synonyms of inadequate

inadequate

adjective

(ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət 

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

• lacking
• insufficient
• scarce
• low
• deficient
• short
• wanting
• unacceptable
• unsatisfactory
• shy
• substandard
• sparse
• poor
• meager
• skimpy
• scanty
• scant
• lean
• stingy
• small
• mere
• minimum
• slender
• light
• spare
• slim
• bare
• skimp
• hand-to-mouth
• slight

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• sufficient
• enough
• abundant
• generous
• ample
• plentiful
• copious
• liberal
• bountiful
• enlarged
• bounteous
• plenteous
• satisfactory
• expanded
• supplemented
• large
• overflowing
• tolerable
• rich
• considerable
• substantial
• plenitudinous
• lavish
• sizable
• super
• big
• teeming
• luxuriant
• hefty
• oversize
• abounding
• jumbo
• largish
• king-size

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inadequate

English clubs, even in the richest league on the planet, routinely lose millions, are subject to wholly inadequate cost control regulations, do not pay dividends, and are increasingly reliant on stakeholders propping them up. — Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Clancy’s ongoing murder trial has laid bare the psychological challenges new mothers can face during the postpartum period and the inadequate resources available to them in a fragmented health care system. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 4 Sep. 2026

Sharpeville’s fight forms part of a wider reckoning with apartheid-era abuses, as survivors say inadequate reparations and lasting trauma have left their community feeling forgotten in democratic South Africa. — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Delays in detection, reluctance to report cases and inadequate community engagement are contributing to preventable deaths. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026