Literary notes about inadequate (AI summary)
Writers employ "inadequate" to underscore a sense of insufficiency or failure—whether in ideas, capabilities, or expressions. It may denote a lack in intellectual precision or descriptive power, as when language falls short of capturing overwhelming truths or the vastness of concepts [1, 2]. The term is also applied to concrete shortcomings, such as limited resources or insufficient defenses, highlighting both human frailties and institutional vulnerabilities [3, 4]. In other contexts, it reflects personal feelings of unworthiness or the inability of words to fully convey deep emotions [5, 6]. Thus, "inadequate" becomes a versatile descriptor in literature, critiquing anything from abstract ideas to tangible systems.
- [5] The explanation which the two authors attempt to formulate on the basis of this collection of examples is peculiarly inadequate.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - Which is to say that our psychological vocabulary is wholly inadequate to name the differences that exist, even such strong differences as these.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - However, Ned Land still found these provisions inadequate.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - Mrs. Elton's resources were inadequate to such an attack.
— from Emma by Jane Austen - I feel every day more and more inadequate.
— from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - As usual, my words are inadequate to express my feelings, but you will understand, my beloved, and restore the balance between the two.
— from Juliette Drouet's Love-Letters to Victor Hugo by Juliette Drouet and Louis Guimbaud
