inadequate

USin-AD-uh-kwit/ɪnˈædəkwɪt/

Noun pluralinadequates

2 meanings of inadequate

1
adjective
Not enough, or not good enough, for what is needed.
Like a small blanket that can't cover your whole body on a cold night.
The old heater was inadequate for such a cold winter.
Their water supply proved inadequate during the long drought.
Similarinsufficient, deficient
Oppositeadequate, sufficient, ample, satisfactory
2
nouncountable
A person who cannot handle things as well as others need them to.
Like the kid who always gets picked last because the others think he can't keep up.
He always treated his quiet coworker like an inadequate.
She refused to be seen as an inadequate just because she asked for help.
Similarincompetent, failure, loser

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Origin

From in- (meaning "not") plus adequate.