as in shortages
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the inadequacy of our servings was soon apparent, as hungry guests started clamoring for seconds
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Recent Examples of inadequacies
The 2024 three-part docuseries American Nightmare dives headfirst into several thought-provoking issues, like victim blaming and the glaring inadequacies in the criminal justice system.
—
James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The clapping served as an audible reminder of the Aztecs’ offensive inadequacies, and players visibly tightened as the clanked shots and errant passes mounted.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Yet fortunes have turned more recently, with on-field inadequacies slowly but surely eating into off-field resources.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Debates surrounding its future intensified in the 2000s, as DFW’s ballooning population laid bare the long-term inadequacies of its water reserves.
—Eleanor Dearman
updated August 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
As sheriff of Baltimore City, I am compelled to raise the alarm on court security funding inadequacies.
—Sam Cogen, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2025
The most common motives for lying at work are fear of upsetting someone, avoiding conflict, not wanting to reveal inadequacies, or serving personal career goals.
—Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
This is just about my own personal inadequacies.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Rather than discussing the inadequacies, dishonesty, and plain bad art of The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, the trade press perpetuates the hubbub as a technological crisis.
—Armond White, National Review, 24 Jan. 2025
James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The clapping served as an audible reminder of the Aztecs’ offensive inadequacies, and players visibly tightened as the clanked shots and errant passes mounted.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Yet fortunes have turned more recently, with on-field inadequacies slowly but surely eating into off-field resources.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Debates surrounding its future intensified in the 2000s, as DFW’s ballooning population laid bare the long-term inadequacies of its water reserves.
—Eleanor Dearman
updated August 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
As sheriff of Baltimore City, I am compelled to raise the alarm on court security funding inadequacies.
—Sam Cogen, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2025
The most common motives for lying at work are fear of upsetting someone, avoiding conflict, not wanting to reveal inadequacies, or serving personal career goals.
—Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
This is just about my own personal inadequacies.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Rather than discussing the inadequacies, dishonesty, and plain bad art of The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, the trade press perpetuates the hubbub as a technological crisis.
—Armond White, National Review, 24 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequacies
Noun
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Preparing to vote The Independence School Board voted in 2022 to implement the four-day school week for the 2023-2024 school year, citing teacher shortages.—
Ilana Arougheti
Updated October 30,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Strong expectations for earnings from key players such as Samsung and SK Hynix have lifted investor sentiment, fueled further by projections of a supercycle driven by global supply shortages in memory chips.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So Vegas has to hope that their forward depth is strong enough to balance out where their star power lacks, relative to other contenders.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
This absence — of God, of love, of plain community spirit — is a metaphor for the whole parish, where everyone is defined by their own lacks and deficiencies, the weaknesses that cause Wicks to despise them and vow to bring down them all.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But those who’ve watched the Blackhawks on a nightly basis know Spencer Knight has been masking some familiar defensive deficiencies.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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This year, head coach Ime Udoka has even used him to initiate offense, thanks in part to some of Sheppard's deficiencies and one critical absence.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequacies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequacies. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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