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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 inadequacies
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
Technology like the Jupiter One 30 MW hydrogen generator just might make these inefficiencies and inadequacies no longer a problem.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024
Scholars have long pointed to the inadequacies of disability services.
—Catherine Tan, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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
Technology like the Jupiter One 30 MW hydrogen generator just might make these inefficiencies and inadequacies no longer a problem.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024
Scholars have long pointed to the inadequacies of disability services.
—Catherine Tan, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequacies
Noun
-
Israel has limited aid to Gaza throughout the conflict, leading to desperate shortages of food and medicine.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Losing both cuts off nearly 20% of the state’s refining capacity and makes California susceptible to potential shortages if there are disruptions to foreign, waterborne supplies.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
For that reason, the vast majority of companies now employ human reviews and stand-alone testing tools or services to address generative AI’s deficiencies.—
Philipp Eisenhauer,
Harvard Business Review,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In their 11 matches in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have scored eight goals in the 83rd minute or later, with those late strikes keeping results on track but masking defensive deficiencies and a lack of coherence, at times, in attack.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequacies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequacies. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share