What is another word for inadequate?
892 synonyms found
Pronunciation:
[ ɪnˈadɪkwət], [ ɪnˈadɪkwət], [ ɪ_n_ˈa_d_ɪ_k_w_ə_t]
When you need to describe something that is not sufficient or not up to a required level, inadequate is a word you might use. However, there are several synonyms that can be used instead of inadequate to convey a similar meaning. Some of these synonyms include insufficient, deficient, incomplete, inadequate, lacking, and short-handed. These words can be used to describe a variety of situations and objects that don't meet expectations. When choosing synonyms, it's important to consider the context and intended meaning of the sentence to ensure that the best word is chosen to clearly convey the message.
Table of Contents
Similar words for inadequate:
- bad (adjective)
- cowardly (adjective)
- deficient (adjective)
- disappointing (adjective)
- dissatisfactory (adjective)
- failing (adjective)
- feeble (adjective)
- imperfect (adjective)
- impotent (adjective)
- incommensurate (adjective)
- incomplete (adjective)
- lacking (adjective)
- light (adjective)
- low (adjective)
- pitiful (adjective)
- short (adjective)
- sketchy (adjective)
- small (adjective)
- sorry (adjective)
- substandard (adjective)
- unacceptable (adjective)
- untrained (adjective)
- useless (adjective)
- all (adjective)
- beggarly (adjective)
- defective (adjective)
- defective, insufficient, incompetent (adjective)
- exiguous (adjective)
- faulty (adjective)
- flimsy (adjective)
- incapable (adjective)
- incompetent (adjective)
- inconsequential (adjective)
- inconsequential/inconsiderable (adjective)
- ineffective (adjective)
- ineffective/ineffectual (adjective)
- ineffectual (adjective)
- inefficacious (adjective)
- insufficient (adjective)
- lame (adjective)
- lean (adjective)
- pale (adjective)
- pathetic (adjective)
- rotten (adjective)
- ruthful (adjective)
- second-rate (adjective)
- sparse (adjective)
- spineless (adjective)
- thin (adjective)
- unable (adjective)
- unfit (adjective)
- unprofessional (adjective)
- unqualified (adjective)
- unskilled (adjective)
- unsuitable (adjective)
- weak (adjective)
- woeful (adjective)
- inadequate (noun)
- inferior (noun)
- destitute
- expendable
- inadequate
- incapable
- incompetent
- inconsiderable
- scanty
- scarce
- sparse
- unsatisfactory
- unsuitable
- worthless
- other relevant words (adjective)
- other relevant words (noun)
- other relevant words (verb)
Synonyms for Inadequate:
-
adj.
• bad- arrant ,
- baneful ,
- black ,
- bottom out ,
- cruddy ,
- detrimental ,
- displeasing ,
- godawful ,
- grody ,
- ill-suited ,
- inadvisable ,
- inferior ,
- invalid ,
- irremediable ,
- not good ,
- poor ,
- the pits ,
- unfavorable ,
- unpleasant ,
- unsatisfactory ,
- unsound ,
- vile ,
- wretched ,
- wrong ,
- junky ,
- most inferior ,
- poorer ,
- punk ,
- sad .
- incommensurable ,
- in commensurable ,
- in commensurate ,
- in-commensurable ,
- in-commensurate ,
- more incommensurable ,
- most incommensurable ,
- un equal ,
- un fair ,
- un fairer ,
- un fairest ,
- un-equal ,
- un-fair ,
- un-fairer ,
- un-fairest .
- Parter ,
- Unaccomplished ,
- half done ,
- half-done ,
- unconsummated ,
- under construction ,
- Unexecuted ,
- fragmentary .
- Sans ,
- can't cut it ,
- coming up short ,
- deprived of ,
- not hacking it ,
- not making it ,
- cant cut it ,
- coming short ,
- more needing ,
- more without ,
- most needing ,
- most without ,
- sanser ,
- sansest .
- Toyer ,
- bitty ,
- mini ,
- pint-sized ,
- pocket-sized ,
- runty ,
- shrimp ,
- shrimper ,
- small fry ,
- small-fry ,
- small-scale ,
- under-sized ,
- minor-league ,
- one-horse .
- fruitless ,
- futile ,
- good-for-nothing ,
- impractical ,
- ineffective ,
- nonfunctional ,
- unserviceable ,
- unusable ,
- unworkable ,
- useless .
- more blemished ,
- more flawed ,
- more seconds ,
- more subnormal ,
- most blemished ,
- most flawed ,
- most seconds ,
- most subnormal ,
- on bum ,
- on the bum ,
- out order ,
- sickest ,
- sub normal ,
- sub-normal ,
- subnormal ,
- un finished ,
- un healthier ,
- un healthiest ,
- un healthy ,
- un sound ,
- un sounder ,
- un soundest ,
- un-finished ,
- un-healthier ,
- un-healthiest ,
- un-healthy ,
- un-sound ,
- un-sounder ,
- un-soundest .
- Stinted ,
- barren ,
- bush-league ,
- depleted ,
- dry ,
- found wanting ,
- glitch ,
- inappreciable ,
- inapt ,
- inconsiderable ,
- insubstantial ,
- junk ,
- lemon ,
- lousy ,
- meager ,
- minus ,
- miserly ,
- not enough ,
- parsimonious ,
- scanty ,
- scarce ,
- short ,
- skimpy ,
- sterile ,
- stunted ,
- too little ,
- unproductive .
- tiny .
- de based ,
- de-based ,
- in accurate ,
- in exact ,
- in valid ,
- in-accurate ,
- in-exact ,
- in-valid ,
- inexact ,
- malformed ,
- more botched ,
- more imprecise ,
- more lemon ,
- more malfunctioning ,
- more marred ,
- more unretentive ,
- more warped ,
- most botched ,
- most imprecise ,
- most lemon ,
- most malfunctioning ,
- most marred ,
- most unretentive ,
- most warped ,
- un reliable ,
- un retentive ,
- un-reliable ,
- un-retentive ,
- warped .
- cutrate ,
- gossamer ,
- house cards ,
- illogical ,
- in conceivable ,
- in credible ,
- in-conceivable ,
- in-credible ,
- more chiffon ,
- more controvertible ,
- more cut rate ,
- more cut-rate ,
- more cutrate ,
- more papery ,
- more rinkydink ,
- more ungrounded ,
- more unpersuasive ,
- most chiffon ,
- most controvertible ,
- most cut rate ,
- most cut-rate ,
- most cutrate ,
- most papery ,
- most rinkydink ,
- most ungrounded ,
- most unpersuasive ,
- rickety ,
- shallow ,
- shallower ,
- trans parent ,
- trans-parent ,
- trifling ,
- trivial ,
- un believable ,
- un grounded ,
- un persuasive ,
- un reasonable ,
- un substantial ,
- un-believable ,
- un-grounded ,
- un-persuasive ,
- un-reasonable ,
- un-substantial .
- dis qualified ,
- dis-qualified ,
- in capable ,
- in eligible ,
- in experienced ,
- in expert ,
- in proficient ,
- in-capable ,
- in-eligible ,
- in-experienced ,
- in-expert ,
- in-proficient ,
- losing ,
- more butterfingers ,
- more disqualified ,
- more inproficient ,
- more uncool ,
- more unequipped ,
- most butterfingers ,
- most disqualified ,
- most inproficient ,
- most uncool ,
- most unequipped ,
- not to ,
- un cool ,
- un equipped ,
- un skillful ,
- un suited ,
- un-cool ,
- un-equipped ,
- un-skillful ,
- un-suited .
- bushleague ,
- in competent ,
- in-competent ,
- more amateur ,
- more floundering ,
- more unadapted ,
- more unfitted ,
- more unproficient ,
- most amateur ,
- most floundering ,
- most unadapted ,
- most unfitted ,
- most unproficient ,
- out lunch ,
- un adapted ,
- un fitted ,
- un handier ,
- un handiest ,
- un handy ,
- un initiated ,
- un proficient ,
- un trained ,
- un-adapted ,
- un-fitted ,
- un-handier ,
- un-handiest ,
- un-handy ,
- un-initiated ,
- un-proficient ,
- un-trained ,
- unhandier ,
- unhandiest .
- entrylevel ,
- in appreciable ,
- in consequent ,
- in considerable ,
- in significant ,
- in-appreciable ,
- in-consequent ,
- in-considerable ,
- in-significant ,
- more entry level ,
- more entry-level ,
- more entrylevel ,
- more shoestring ,
- most entry level ,
- most entry-level ,
- most entrylevel ,
- most shoestring ,
- runter ,
- runtest ,
- twobit ,
- un considered ,
- un important ,
- un-considered ,
- un-important .
- in effective ,
- in-effective ,
- more emasculate ,
- more slack spined ,
- more slack-spined ,
- more slackspined ,
- most emasculate ,
- most slack spined ,
- most slack-spined ,
- most slackspined ,
- slack spined ,
- slack-spined ,
- slackspined ,
- un available ,
- un-available .
- anti climactic ,
- anti-climactic ,
- de feasible ,
- de-feasible ,
- in nocuous ,
- in operative ,
- in vertebrate ,
- in-nocuous ,
- in-operative ,
- in-vertebrate ,
- invertebrate ,
- more anticlimactic ,
- more defeasible ,
- more ineffective ,
- more invertebrate ,
- more neutralized ,
- most anticlimactic ,
- most defeasible ,
- most invertebrate ,
- most neutralized ,
- null and void ,
- null void ,
- un profitable ,
- un-profitable .
- gangling ,
- in fertile ,
- in-fertile ,
- lean ,
- more beanpole ,
- more shadow ,
- more sylphlike ,
- most beanpole ,
- most shadow ,
- most sylphlike ,
- scraggier ,
- stickest ,
- stilt ,
- stilter ,
- stiltest .
- doughiest ,
- more bleached ,
- more waxlike ,
- more whitish ,
- most bleached ,
- most waxlike ,
- most whitish ,
- pasty ,
- washed-out ,
- washedout ,
- waxlike .
- bummest ,
- dis agreeable ,
- dis eased ,
- dis-agreeable ,
- dis-eased ,
- more bruised ,
- most bruised ,
- punker ,
- punkest ,
- un fortunate ,
- un happier ,
- un happiest ,
- un happy ,
- un luckier ,
- un luckiest ,
- un lucky ,
- un pleasant ,
- un-fortunate ,
- un-happy ,
- un-luckier ,
- un-lucky ,
- un-pleasant .
- more second best ,
- more second-best ,
- more secondbest ,
- most second best ,
- most second-best ,
- most secondbest ,
- most secondrate ,
- second rate ,
- second-class ,
- secondbest ,
- secondclass ,
- secondrate .
- few far between ,
- more dispersed ,
- most dispersed ,
- scrimpier ,
- scrimpiest ,
- un common ,
- un commoner ,
- un commonest ,
- un-common ,
- un-commoner .
- faint hearted ,
- lily livered ,
- lilylivered ,
- more amoebalike ,
- more faint hearted ,
- more faint-hearted ,
- more pithless ,
- more weak kneed ,
- more weak-kneed ,
- more weakkneed ,
- more yellow bellied ,
- more yellow-bellied ,
- more yellowbellied ,
- most amoebalike ,
- most faint hearted ,
- most faint-hearted ,
- most pithless ,
- most weak kneed ,
- most weak-kneed ,
- most weakkneed ,
- most yellow bellied ,
- most yellow-bellied ,
- most yellowbellied ,
- sub missive ,
- weak kneed ,
- weak willed ,
- weak-kneed ,
- weak-willed ,
- weakkneed ,
- weakwilled ,
- yellow bellied ,
- yellowbellied .
- Impuissant ,
- can't make grade ,
- cant hack it ,
- cant make grade ,
- cant make the grade ,
- more hog tied ,
- more hog-tied ,
- more hogtied ,
- more impuissant ,
- more sidelined ,
- most hog tied ,
- most hog-tied ,
- most hogtied ,
- most impuissant ,
- most sidelined ,
- no can do ,
- out commission ,
- un abler ,
- un ablest ,
- un-abler ,
- un-ablest .
- Unmeet ,
- butter fingered ,
- heavy handed ,
- heavyhanded ,
- ill adapted ,
- ill equipped ,
- ill suited ,
- illadapted ,
- illequipped ,
- illsuited ,
- in applicable ,
- in appropriate ,
- in compatible ,
- in congruous ,
- in expedient ,
- in felicitous ,
- in harmonious ,
- in-applicable ,
- in-appropriate ,
- in-compatible ,
- in-congruous ,
- in-expedient ,
- in-felicitous ,
- in-harmonious ,
- mis taken ,
- more blundering ,
- more butter fingered ,
- more butter-fingered ,
- more butterfingered ,
- more ill adapted ,
- more ill equipped ,
- more ill-adapted ,
- more ill-equipped ,
- more illadapted ,
- more illequipped ,
- more unpromising ,
- most blundering ,
- most butter fingered ,
- most butter-fingered ,
- most butterfingered ,
- most ill adapted ,
- most ill equipped ,
- most ill-adapted ,
- most ill-equipped ,
- most illadapted ,
- most illequipped ,
- most unpromising ,
- out element ,
- out of element ,
- out place ,
- out shape ,
- un apter ,
- un aptest ,
- un becoming ,
- un congenial ,
- un fit ,
- un likelier ,
- un likeliest ,
- un likely ,
- un meet ,
- un meeter ,
- un meetest ,
- un practiced ,
- un prepared ,
- un promising ,
- un-apter ,
- un-aptest ,
- un-becoming ,
- un-congenial ,
- un-fit ,
- un-likelier ,
- un-likely ,
- un-meet ,
- un-meeter ,
- un-meetest ,
- un-practiced ,
- un-prepared ,
- un-promising ,
- unmeeter ,
- unmeetest ,
- unpracticed .
- more nonexpert ,
- more unfitting ,
- most nonexpert ,
- most unfitting ,
- non expert ,
- non-expert ,
- un ethical ,
- un fitting ,
- un professional ,
- un-ethical ,
- un-fitting ,
- un-professional .
- more untalented ,
- most untalented ,
- un educated ,
- un schooled ,
- un skilled ,
- un talented ,
- un-educated ,
- un-schooled ,
- un-skilled ,
- un-talented .
- dis proportionate ,
- dis sonant ,
- dis-proportionate ,
- dis-sonant ,
- in admissible ,
- in apposite ,
- in apter ,
- in consistent ,
- in-admissible ,
- in-apposite ,
- in-apter ,
- in-consistent ,
- interfering ,
- more clashing ,
- more inapposite ,
- most clashing ,
- most inapposite ,
- out character ,
- out keeping ,
- un befitting ,
- un due ,
- un duest ,
- un seasonable ,
- un seemlier ,
- un seemliest ,
- un seemly ,
- un suitable ,
- un-befitting ,
- un-due ,
- un-duer ,
- un-duest ,
- un-matched ,
- un-seasonable ,
- un-seemlier ,
- un-seemliest ,
- un-suitable ,
- uncalledfor .
-
n.
• inadequate • inferior Other synonyms:
- Overrated ,
- bearable ,
- cowboy ,
- dearth ,
- fallible ,
- livable ,
- makeshift ,
- measly ,
- mediocre ,
- scantily ,
- so-so ,
- suboptimal ,
- substandard ,
- such as it is ,
- undistinguished ,
- unimpressive ,
- unsatisfying ,
- unspectacular .
- amateur ,
- deficit ,
- deprivation ,
- derisory ,
- flimsy ,
- inadequacy ,
- indifferent ,
- insufficiency ,
- lame ,
- limited ,
- much ,
- overstretched ,
- questionable ,
- small ,
- sorry ,
- tolerable ,
- unqualified .
- crack-up ,
- helpless ,
- ineffectual .
- fair .
Other relevant words:
- thin .
- Butter-fingered ,
- Commiserable ,
- Controvertible ,
- Out of keeping ,
- Pithless ,
- Unhandy ,
- Waterish ,
- amoebalike ,
- anguished ,
- anticlimactic ,
- bad ,
- big zero ,
- busher ,
- butterfingered ,
- can't hack it ,
- can't make the grade ,
- chiffon ,
- cut rate ,
- cut-rate ,
- defeasible ,
- defective ,
- dissatisfactory ,
- doughier ,
- doughy ,
- down and out ,
- entry-level ,
- failing ,
- faint-hearted ,
- faulty ,
- feeble ,
- few and far between ,
- flawed ,
- house of cards ,
- ill-adapted ,
- ill-equipped ,
- imprecise ,
- inapposite ,
- incommensurate ,
- incompetent ,
- inconsequential ,
- inefficacious ,
- inproficient ,
- lacking ,
- laid low ,
- low ,
- malfunctioning ,
- no biggie ,
- no fat ,
- no go ,
- no way ,
- nonexpert ,
- not able ,
- not cut out for ,
- not effective ,
- not equal to ,
- not fit ,
- not have it ,
- not up to ,
- out of character ,
- out of place ,
- out of shape ,
- pale ,
- papery ,
- pathetic ,
- pitiful ,
- rinkydink ,
- rotten ,
- scraggiest ,
- scraggy ,
- scrimpy ,
- second class ,
- second-best ,
- shoestring ,
- sidelined ,
- sketchy ,
- small time ,
- sparse ,
- sticker ,
- sylphlike ,
- unadapted ,
- uncool ,
- unequipped ,
- unfitted ,
- unfitting ,
- ungrounded ,
- unpersuasive ,
- unpleasing ,
- unprofessional ,
- unproficient ,
- unpromising ,
- unretentive ,
- untalented ,
- washed out ,
- weak ,
- whitish ,
- woeful ,
- yellow-bellied .
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How to use "Inadequate" in context?
sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the most important pieces of protection you can give your skin from the sun. When sunscreen is used correctly, it can help to prevent skin cancer, skin lesions, and other skin problems. Unfortunately, sunscreen is not always effective. When sunscreen is used incorrectly or not used at all, it can be inadequate and not provide enough protection from the sun.
Inadequate sunscreen includes sunscreen that is over-used or not used at all. If you are going to be outside for an extended period of time and want to use sunscreen, make sure you use enough.
Paraphrases for Inadequate:
Paraphrases are highlighted according to their relevancy:
- highest relevancy
- medium relevancy
- lowest relevancy
-
Equivalence
-
Preposition or subordinating conjunction
insufficient.
-
Adjective
improper, insufficient.
-
Proper noun, singular
improper, insufficient.
-
Noun, singular or mass
improper, insufficient.
-
Verb, past tense
insufficient.
-
Preposition or subordinating conjunction
-
Forward Entailment
-
Adjective
adequate.
-
Noun, singular or mass
adequate.
-
Adjective
-
Independent
-
Adjective
disabled, disappointing, dysfunctional, erroneous, ill-equipped, impaired, inaccurate, incapable, incompetent, incongruous, inconsistent, inconvenient, insignificant, irrelevant, little, misguided, precarious, proper, proportionate, unable, unacceptable, underdeveloped, underemployed, undersized, unfavorable, unfortunate, unsafe, unachieved, ill-adapted, sub-standard, poor-quality, kefaya.
-
Proper noun, singular
data.
-
Noun, singular or mass
paucity.
-
Interjection
BUTTERHOOK.
-
Adjective
-
Other Related
-
Coordinating conjunction
insufficient.
-
Determiner
insufficient.
-
Adjective
ample, appropriate, defective, deficient, disproportionate, excessive, faulty, feeble, flawed, imperfect, incorrect, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, inept, inexpedient, inopportune, insubstantial, outdated, poor, satisfactory, scant, scanty, scarce, substandard, sufficient, suitable, undesirable, undue, unfair, unfit, unreasonable, unsatisfactory, unseemly, unsound, unsuitable, unsuited, untimely, wrong, Underemployment, ill-suited.
-
Proper noun, singular
deficient, inadequacy, lack, poor, unsatisfactory.
-
Noun, singular or mass
deficient, inadequacy, lack, poor, unsatisfactory, unsuitable, Underemployment.
-
Verb, non-3rd person singular present
insufficient, lack.
-
Verb, base form
insufficient.
-
Coordinating conjunction
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