Synonyms for inadequate
- adjective
Most common
insufficient incompetent poor deficient unequal disproportionate
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Insufficient
insufficient, incompetent, poor, deficient, incapable, ineffective, lacking, unsatisfactory, scanty, defective, incomplete, ineffectual, inferior, scant, bad, imperfect, wanting, sorry, short, meager US CA, meagre UK, scarce, skimpy
2. Unequal
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.
inadequate representation
Related words
- Other spellings
- unadequate
Example sentences
- insufficient Due to insufficient sales, many shops are closed.
- incapable Young children are incapable of abstract thinking.
- incompetent Incompetent people are the ones who talk the most.
- deficient English is a very deficient language in this area.
- inappropriate I think that what you're wearing is inappropriate.
- unsuitable There is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inadequate | falling | |
| insufficient | falling | |
| incapable | steady | |
| incompetent | falling | |
| deficient | falling | |
| inappropriate | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 4 letters
- poor1
- 5 letters
- short1, sorry2, scant1
- 6 letters
- scarce1, meager2, meagre, skimpy2, scanty2
- 7 letters
- wanting2, lacking2, unequal3
- 8 letters
- inferior4
- 9 letters
- incapable4, defective3, imperfect3, deficient3
- 10 letters
- incomplete3, unsuitable4
- 11 letters
- ineffective4, incompetent4, ineffectual5, subadequate
- 12 letters
- insufficient4
- 13 letters
- inappropriate5
- 14 letters
- unsatisfactory6, incommensurate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (sorry2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- inadéquat
- Deutsch
- unangemessen