highly inadequate

USAGE SUMMARY

"highly inadequate" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to emphasize that something is not sufficient or not good enough to achieve a certain goal. For example, "The government's response to the pandemic was highly inadequate".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

"I firmly believe the fix they are proposing is highly inadequate".

The New York Times

Capital gains and estate tax rates would remain at their low and highly inadequate levels.

The New York Times

In many cases, this has been facilitated by highly inadequate and unsympathetic institutional, legislative, and policy environments.

International Soil and Water Conservation Research

Shell has had access to Ogoniland over the last 18 years, including to carry out the highly inadequate clean-ups that Unep [the UN Environment Programme] documented.

The Guardian

However, given that these machines clearly pose a serious risk to life and property, Whirlpool's response is highly inadequate, and possibly dangerous".

The Guardian - Money

As it is, 11 of the 25,000 livery cars in the city are wheelchair-accessible, a figure that advocates for wheelchair users call highly inadequate.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

The use of highly toxic pesticides, inadequate use of personal protective equipment and poor hygienic practices might explain the reason for symptoms of pesticide intoxication and a lower AChE level among farmers.

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

"Among other things, Mr. Icahn is now looking to fund up to half of the purchase price of his inadequate, highly conditional proposal by borrowing from Clorox stockholders".

The New York Times

"Our board of directors unanimously concluded that Mr. Icahn's unsolicited, inadequate, highly conditional and opportunistic offer significantly undervalues Oshkosh and is not in the best interests of all Oshkosh shareholders," Richard M. Donnelly, Oshkosh's chairman, said in a statement.

The New York Times

"The board and management team are confident that continuing our strategic plan will create more value for shareholders than Jos. A. Bank's inadequate, highly conditional proposal," Douglas S. Ewert, the chief executive of Men's Wearhouse, said in a statement.

The New York Times

Its importance lies in the fact that it allows me and many women like me in the sameness of our gender all differences taken into account to state that "we" women find these representations and images of us highly insufficient and inadequate to express our experience.

European Journal of Futures Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "highly inadequate" to express a strong sense of insufficiency, especially when criticizing a specific plan, response, or resource. It adds emphasis and clarity to your critique.

Common error

While "highly inadequate" is acceptable, consider stronger or more precise alternatives like "woefully deficient" or "grossly insufficient" in formal contexts to enhance the impact of your message.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly inadequate" primarily functions as an adjectival modifier, intensifying the adjective "inadequate". It serves to describe a noun, indicating a significant lack of sufficiency or suitability. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly inadequate" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase used to express a strong sense of insufficiency. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for emphasizing that something doesn't meet the required standard. While relatively uncommon, it appears most frequently in News & Media and Scientific contexts. Consider alternatives like "utterly insufficient" or "woefully deficient" for varying shades of meaning. When using this phrase, ensure it aligns with the overall tone of your writing, avoiding overuse in extremely formal contexts. Remember that "highly inadequate" emphasizes the severity of the inadequacy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly insufficient

Emphasizes a complete lack of sufficiency, stronger than "highly inadequate".

woefully deficient

Highlights a lamentable lack or shortage, adding an emotional tone.

patently unsatisfactory

Indicates an obvious failure to meet expectations or requirements.

grossly insufficient

Similar to "highly inadequate" but with an implication of being noticeably or shockingly so.

thoroughly lacking

Focuses on the complete absence of something necessary or desired.

markedly deficient

Suggests a clear and noticeable lack, emphasizing the contrast with what is needed.

seriously wanting

Highlights a grave need or deficiency, often in a specific quality or aspect.

plainly unfit

Focuses on the unsuitability of something for a particular purpose.

clearly unequal

Indicates an imbalance, where something doesn't reach to the appropriate standard.

substantially short

Emphasizes not reaching to the required measure, mostly used in quantitative contexts.

FAQs

How can I use "highly inadequate" in a sentence?

You can use "highly inadequate" to describe something that is significantly insufficient or not good enough, like "The funding for the project was "highly inadequate" to meet its goals."

What are some alternatives to "highly inadequate"?

Alternatives include "utterly insufficient", "woefully deficient", or "grossly insufficient", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "highly inadequate" or "completely inadequate"?

Both "highly inadequate" and "completely inadequate" are correct, but "completely inadequate" suggests a total lack of sufficiency, while "highly inadequate" implies a significant, but not necessarily complete, deficiency.

What is the difference between "inadequate" and "highly inadequate"?

While "inadequate" means not good enough, "highly inadequate" emphasizes the severity of the insufficiency, making it a stronger statement.