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Inadequate vs Useless - What's the difference?

inadequate | useless |

As adjectives the difference between inadequate and useless

is that inadequate is while useless is without use or possibility to be used.

inadequate

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Not adequate; unequal to the purpose; insufficient; deficient; as, inadequate resources, power, conceptions, representations, etc.
  • * 2013 June 18, , " Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2013):
  • In a convulsion that has caught many in Brazil and beyond by surprise, waves of protesters denounced their leaders for dedicating so many resources to cultivating Brazil’s global image by building stadiums for international events, when basic services like education and health care remain woefully inadequate .

    useless

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Without use or possibility to be used.
  • This fork has prongs that are bent. It's useless now.
  • Unhelpful, not useful; pointless (of an action).
  • I think it's useless to keep this discussion going. It's like talking to a wall.
    I tried my best to make him quit smoking, but my efforts were useless . He now smokes six packs a day.
  • (pejorative, of a person) good-for-nothing; not dependable.
  • Bill never mows the lawn, takes out the trash or anything. He's useless , but I love him anyways.
  • (colloquial, of a person) unable to do well at a particular task or thing. Useless is mildly insulting.
  • My brother is useless at most computer games, but he is an awesome PS2 player.
    Why do you keep trying? You're obviously useless at it.

    Synonyms

    * (good-for-nothing) good-for-nothing * (unable to do well) unskillful

    Antonyms

    * skillful, useful

    Derived terms

    * uselessly * uselessness