inadequately

/ɪnˈædɪkwətli/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌɪnˈædəkwətli] /ɪnˈædɪkwətli/ (ame, ipa)

inadequately — 副詞

1. in a manner that falls short of the quality or standard a situation calls for, s

1.副詞B2
釋義

不充分地

未達應有品質或標準

in a manner that falls short of the quality or standard a situation calls for, so the result feels weak or unsatisfying.

例句

The new bridge was inadequately designed and shook whenever a heavy truck crossed it.

這座新橋設計得不夠好，每當重型卡車經過時就會搖晃。

passive: be inadequately + past participle

Selim felt the article inadequately explained why the policy had failed.

Selim 覺得那篇文章對政策失敗的原因解釋得不夠到位。

inadequately + lexical verb (explain, describe)

同義詞
  • poorly

    everyday word; broader, less formal than 'inadequately'.

  • insufficiently

    leans toward 'not enough'; overlaps with sense 2.

  • unsatisfactorily

    formal; emphasises a failure to meet a stated standard.

反義詞
  • adequately

    directly opposite; meets the basic standard.

  • thoroughly

    stronger contrast; emphasises completeness.

文法句型

be inadequately + past participle

用法筆記

Frequently passive with past participles such as 'trained', 'designed', 'equipped', 'prepared', 'funded'. Modifies how an action was carried out, not how much of it was done.

常見錯誤

❌The team worked inadequately hours.
✅The team worked inadequately long hours.
💡'inadequately' modifies an adjective/verb, not a bare noun like 'hours'.

2. using or supplying a smaller quantity than the situation actually calls for, so

2.副詞B2
釋義

不足地

數量或供應未達所需

using or supplying a smaller quantity than the situation actually calls for, so a shortfall remains.

例句

The shelter was inadequately stocked with blankets when the cold front arrived.

寒流來襲時，這間收容所的毛毯儲備不足。

common collocation: inadequately stocked / supplied

Noa worried that the relief camp had been inadequately funded since the spring floods.

Noa 擔心自從春季水災後，這個救援營的資金一直不夠。

passive: be inadequately funded

同義詞
  • insufficiently

    closest match; widely interchangeable in this quantity sense.

  • scantily

    more literary; often used of clothing or supplies.

  • sparsely

    used for population or spacing rather than supplies.

反義詞
  • amply

    more than enough; positive equivalent.

  • sufficiently

    just enough; neutral opposite.

文法句型

be inadequately + past participle

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 by asking whether the issue is 'how well' (sense 1) or 'how much' (sense 2). Typical collocates here are quantity-oriented past participles: 'funded', 'staffed', 'stocked', 'supplied', 'irrigated'.

常見錯誤

❌There were inadequately doctors at the hospital.
✅The hospital was inadequately staffed.
💡'inadequately' cannot modify a plural noun directly; pair it with a verb or past participle.