Insufficient — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfi-shənt/ in·suf·fi·cient

Meaning & Definition of Insufficient

Insufficient (adjective)

  1. not sufficient, inadequate; especially, lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence

Insufficient (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone"

    similar: deficient, inadequate, 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 Insufficient

The most common words with a similar meaning to Insufficient:

deficient, inadequate, lacking, low, scarce, short, shy, wanting

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Insufficient

Words with the opposite meaning of Insufficient:

adequate, enough, sufficient

Related Words for Insufficient

substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, hand-to-mouth, lean, light, meager, poor, scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparse, stingy, bare, mere, minimum, slight, small

Near Antonyms of Insufficient

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

Word Forms of Insufficient

Derived words: insufficiently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Insufficient

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin insufficient-, insufficiens, from Latin in- + sufficient-, sufficiens sufficient

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Insufficient

Frequently Asked Questions about Insufficient

What does "Insufficient" mean?

"Insufficient" means not sufficient, inadequate; especially, lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence. As an adjective, it is defined as: not sufficient, inadequate; especially, lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence.

What is another word for "Insufficient"?

Other words for "Insufficient" include deficient, inadequate, lacking, low, scarce, short, shy and wanting. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Insufficient" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Insufficient"?

There are 30 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Insufficient". Common alternatives include deficient, inadequate, lacking, low, scarce, short, shy and wanting.

What is the opposite of "Insufficient"?

Antonyms of "Insufficient" include adequate, enough and sufficient. Near antonyms include abundant, ample, bounteous and bountiful.

How do you use "Insufficient" in a sentence?

Examples of "Insufficient" in a sentence: "there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone".

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

"Insufficient" is an adjective.

Is "Insufficient" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Insufficient" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Insufficient"?

"Insufficient" is pronounced /ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfi-shənt/ and divided into syllables as in·suf·fi·cient.