1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the inadequacy of our servings was soon apparent, as hungry guests started clamoring for seconds
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
tried to blame others in order to hide the inadequacy of his leadership
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inadequacy
Once a family member dates someone from a different socioeconomic background, feelings of inadequacy or abandonment can be triggered in other family members.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Then there's social jealousy, like if your daughter didn't get invited to a sleepover, which causes feelings of insecurity or inadequacy.
—Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 11 Apr. 2025
Brook failed to find his big moment in the 2023 World Cup, two T20 World Cups or the recent Champions Trophy where the Three Lions showed inadequacies in all parts of their game.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The steady stream of highly qualified international applicants has allowed the U.S. to ignore the inadequacy of the domestic doctoral pipeline.
—Moshe Y. Vardi, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequacy
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Then there's social jealousy, like if your daughter didn't get invited to a sleepover, which causes feelings of insecurity or inadequacy.
—Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 11 Apr. 2025
Brook failed to find his big moment in the 2023 World Cup, two T20 World Cups or the recent Champions Trophy where the Three Lions showed inadequacies in all parts of their game.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The steady stream of highly qualified international applicants has allowed the U.S. to ignore the inadequacy of the domestic doctoral pipeline.
—Moshe Y. Vardi, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inadequacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequacy
Noun
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Japan began experiencing a matcha shortage in late 2024, as global interest in the powdered green tea spiked, according to the Global Japanese Tea Association.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2025
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Korn Ferry predicts a global shortage of up to 85 million tech workers by 2030.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Indeed, the root cause of the Iberian grid’s failure on a clear, windy day when 70% of Spain’s generation capacity was coming from renewables was the Spanish grid’s inability to gracefully handle such a surplus of renewables generation.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Could his inability to execute be a product of pitching deep into most of his 11 starts to begin the season?—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images What To Know A chronic lack of inventory, partially due to the fact that homebuilders in the U.S. significantly underbuilt in the years following the 2008 crash, contributed to bringing U.S. home prices through the roof in recent years.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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Temple students have criticized the center’s lack of visibility on campus, its initiatives largely unknown to them.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Risk of nutrient deficiencies: Using powders instead of whole foods may result in nutrient deficiencies.—
Christopher Bergland,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2025
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How pellagra ravaged northern Italy Pellagra is a severe systemic disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin B3, or niacin.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inadequacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequacy. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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