inadequate

/ɪnˈædɪkwət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈædɪkwət/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i-ˈna-di-kwət/ (ame, mw)

inadequate — 形容詞

  • inadequatepositive
  • more inadequatecomparative
  • most inadequatesuperlative

1. not reaching the level of quality that is needed or expected in a particular sit

1.形容詞B1
釋義

不夠好

品質或能力未達標準

not reaching the level of quality that is needed or expected in a particular situation

例句

The school's science equipment was inadequate for advanced experiments.

這所學校的科學設備不夠好，無法進行進階實驗。

collocation: inadequate for [purpose]

Benjamin felt his English was inadequate for the university course.

Benjamin 覺得自己的英文程度不夠好，應付不了大學課程。

同義詞
  • insufficient

    more neutral, often interchangeable; 'inadequate' carries a stronger judgment of failure

  • deficient

    suggests a specific missing element rather than general poor quality

  • unsatisfactory

    focuses on the result or outcome rather than the thing itself

  • substandard

    implies the thing falls below an expected minimum standard, often in manufacturing or services

反義詞
  • adequate

    the direct opposite; meets the required level

  • satisfactory

    acceptable in quality; less demanding than 'adequate'

  • sufficient

    often used for quantity but also applicable to quality in some contexts

文法句型

inadequate for [something]

inadequate to [do something]

[be/prove] + inadequate

用法筆記

Frequently used with intensifying adverbs such as 'woefully', 'grossly', or 'totally' to emphasize how far something falls short.

常見錯誤

❌The amount of water was inadequate for the quality we needed.
✅The quality of the water was inadequate for drinking.
💡'inadequate' in sense 1 refers to quality, not amount (sense 2).
❌I feel inadequate about my cooking skills.
✅My cooking skills are inadequate for a professional kitchen.
💡'feel inadequate' belongs to sense 3 (personal confidence); use 'be inadequate' for quality judgment.

2. present in a quantity that is too small to satisfy a specific requirement or nee

2.形容詞B1
釋義

不足

數量無法滿足需求

present in a quantity that is too small to satisfy a specific requirement or need

例句

The water supply was inadequate for the growing number of villagers.

水源供應不足，無法應付日益增加的村民需求。

collocation: inadequate for [number of people]

Minho found his salary inadequate to cover the family's monthly expenses.

Minho 發現自己的薪水不夠支付家裡每月的開銷。

pattern: inadequate to [do something]

同義詞
  • insufficient

    almost interchangeable; 'insufficient' sounds slightly more formal

  • scarce

    implies a general shortage affecting many people, not just one situation

  • meager

    more informal; suggests the amount is pitifully small

反義詞
  • sufficient

    the standard opposite; enough for the purpose

  • ample

    more than enough; generous

  • plentiful

    available in large quantity

文法句型

inadequate for [number of people/needs]

[noun of quantity] + is + inadequate

inadequate + [noun: funding/supply/heating]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a resource noun (funding, supply, space, time, heating) rather than an abstract quality. Distinguish from sense 1, where the defect is in quality rather than quantity.

常見錯誤

❌His English was inadequate for the conversation.
✅The time we had was inadequate for the conversation.
💡Language ability is about quality (sense 1); time is about amount (sense 2).

3. feeling that you are not good enough or skilled enough for a particular role, ta

3.形容詞B2
釋義

沒信心

自覺能力或信心不足

feeling that you are not good enough or skilled enough for a particular role, task, or situation

例句

Paloma felt inadequate when comparing her work to her colleagues' results.

Paloma 將自己的工作與同事的成果相比後，感到很沒信心。

pattern: feel inadequate + when comparing

New teachers often feel inadequate during their first year in the classroom.

新進老師在教書的第一年時常感到無法勝任。

common context: feel inadequate [in a role]

同義詞
  • incompetent

    stronger and more negative; suggests a genuine lack of ability, not just a feeling

  • unfit

    suggests unsuitability for a specific role; harsher judgment

  • unequal to

    more formal; 'feel unequal to the task' is a set phrase

反義詞
  • competent

    having the necessary skill or knowledge

  • capable

    having the ability or qualities needed

  • adequate

    in sense 3, the opposite is 'adequate to' meaning confident enough

文法句型

feel inadequate

feel inadequate + [prepositional phrase: about/in/as]

inadequate to [deal with/handle]

用法筆記

Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense describes a person's internal feeling or self-assessment rather than an objective quality of a thing. Most common in the fixed phrase 'feel inadequate'. Subject is nearly always a person.

常見錯誤

❌The hotel service was inadequate.
✅I felt inadequate as a host when the hotel service failed.
💡The first example uses sense 1 (quality), but the intended meaning was personal inadequacy (sense 3). Use 'feel inadequate' to express personal lack of confidence.