Inadequately — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /(ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət/ in·ad·e·quate

Meaning & Definition of Inadequately

Inadequately (adjective)

  1. not adequate, not enough or good enough, insufficient; also, not capable

Inadequately (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in an unsatisfactory way

    "she did the job quickly, but inadequately"

    similar: bad, badly, deficiently, lousily, poorly, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily, wretchedly
    related: abysmally, atrociously, awfully, damnably, deplorably, detestably, disastrously, dreadfully, execrably, horrendously, horribly, horrifically, rottenly, terribly, intolerably, unbearably, inappropriately, incorrectly, indecently, reprehensibly, unsuitably, vulgarly, naughtily, egregiously, flagrantly, grossly, miserably, shoddily, sleazily, trashily, unspeakably, abominably, odiously, vilely, inferiorly, insufficiently, meagerly, meanly, scantily, scantly, shabbily, skimpily, sparely, stingily
    opposite: acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK, palatably, passably, satisfactorily, so-so, tolerably, well
    near: appropriately, congruously, correctly, decently, decorously, felicitously, fittingly, meetly, rightly, seemly, suitably, exactly, faithfully, ideally, precisely, respectably, gratifyingly, satisfyingly

Related Entry: Inadequate (adjective)

Inadequate is a different word from Inadequately. The synonyms below are for inadequate, not for inadequately.

  1. not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need

    "an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests"

    similar: deficient, insufficient, lacking, low, scarce, short, shy, wanting
    related: substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, hand-to-mouth, lean, light, meager, poor, scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparse, stingy, bare, mere, minimum, slight, small
    opposite: adequate, enough, sufficient
    near: abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful, plenitudinous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented, abounding, overflowing, teeming, satisfactory, tolerable, lavish, luxuriant, rich, big, considerable, hefty, jumbo, king-size, large, largish, oversize, sizable, substantial, super

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Inadequately

The most common words with a similar meaning to Inadequately:

bad, badly, deficiently, lousily, poorly, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily, wretchedly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Inadequately

Words with the opposite meaning of Inadequately:

acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK, palatably, passably, satisfactorily, so-so, tolerably, well

Related Words for Inadequately

abysmally, atrociously, awfully, damnably, deplorably, detestably, disastrously, dreadfully, execrably, horrendously, horribly, horrifically, rottenly, terribly, intolerably, unbearably, inappropriately, incorrectly, indecently, reprehensibly, unsuitably, vulgarly, naughtily, egregiously, flagrantly, grossly, miserably, shoddily, sleazily, trashily

Near Antonyms of Inadequately

appropriately, congruously, correctly, decently, decorously, felicitously, fittingly, meetly, rightly, seemly, suitably, exactly, faithfully, ideally, precisely, respectably, gratifyingly, satisfyingly

Word Forms of Inadequately

Derived words: inadequately (adverb), inadequateness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Inadequately

First known use: 1671

Frequently Asked Questions about Inadequately

What does "Inadequately" mean?

"Inadequately" means not adequate, not enough or good enough, insufficient; also, not capable. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: not adequate, not enough or good enough, insufficient; also, not capable.

What is another word for "Inadequately"?

Other words for "Inadequately" include bad, badly, deficiently, lousily, poorly, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily and wretchedly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Inadequately" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Inadequately"?

There are 52 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Inadequately". Common alternatives include bad, badly, deficiently, lousily, poorly, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily and wretchedly.

What is the opposite of "Inadequately"?

Antonyms of "Inadequately" include acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK and palatably. Near antonyms include appropriately, congruously, correctly and decently.

How do you use "Inadequately" in a sentence?

Examples of "Inadequately" in a sentence: "she did the job quickly, but inadequately".

Is "Inadequately" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Inadequately" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Inadequately"?

"Inadequately" is pronounced /(ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət/ and divided into syllables as in·ad·e·quate.

What is the origin of the word "Inadequately"?

First known use: 1671.