- 1not enough; not good enough inadequate supplies inadequate for something The system is inadequate for the tasks it has to perform. inadequate to do something The food supplies are inadequate to meet the needs of the hungry. opposite adequate Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsappear, be, look, … adverbdeeply, grossly, hopelessly, … prepositionat, for See full entry
- 2(of people) not able, or not confident enough, to deal with a situation synonym incompetent I felt totally inadequate as a parent. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, feel, seem, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionto See full entry Extra examples His wages were pitifully inadequate for the needs of his growing family. I felt dreadfully inadequate. I suddenly felt extremely inadequate as I compared myself to him. People, despite their intelligence, are curiously inadequate at communicating with horses. She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her. The helicopters are inadequate to the demands of modern combat. The staff at the consulate seemed not only insensitive, but professionally inadequate. These precautions have been judged inadequate. This computer is clearly inadequate for my needs. They are blaming their failure on inadequate preparation.
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