In-adequately

adjective

not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable.

Psychiatry. ineffectual in response to emotional, social, intellectual, and physical demands in the absence of any obvious mental or physical deficiency.

Origin:
1665–75; in-³ + adequate

Related forms

in·ad·e·quate·ly, adverb

Synonyms
1. inapt, incompetent; incommensurate; defective, imperfect, incomplete.

Antonyms
1. sufficient.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To in-adequately

Collins

World English Dictionary

inadequate (ɪnˈædɪkwɪt)

—*adj*
1.	not adequate; insufficient
2.	not capable or competent; lacking

in'adequacy

—n

in'adequately

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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In-adequately is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

inadequate

1670s, from in- (1) + adequate.

Matching Quote

"If experience has established any one thing in this world, it has established this: that it is well for any great class and description of men in society to be able to say for itself what it wants, and not to have other classes, the so-called educated and intelligent classes, acting for it as its proctors, and supposed to understand its wants and to provide for them.... A class of men may often itself not either fully understand its wants, or adequately express them; but it has a nearer interest and a more sure diligence in the matter than any of its proctors, and therefore a better chance of success."

-Matthew Arnold

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