inadequate

noun

A person who is inadequate.

adjective

Not adequate; lacking in quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.

Roots

inin- · Latin · not aequus-equ · Latin · equal, level

Synonyms for inadequate

insufficientadj deficientadj unsatisfactoryadj unequaladj ineffectiveadj lackingadj scantyadj unfitadj incompetentadj ineffectualadj inefficaciousadj unsoundadj skimpyadj

Synonyms & related words for inadequate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of inadequate — including insufficient, deficient, unsatisfactory, unequal, ineffective, lacking. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to inadequate

Explore words related to inadequate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include inadequateness, poor, inadequacy, adequate, inadequately, inefficient, unsuitable, unapt. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for inadequate

Common synonyms for inadequate include insufficient, deficient, unsatisfactory, unequal, ineffective, lacking, scanty, unfit — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does inadequate come from?

The word inadequate breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: in-, from Latin in (“not”); and -equ, from Latin aequus (“equal, level”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.