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Glite Dictionary
😔 Unable to fit in ⚙️ Not set correctly
maladjusted

maladjusted

7.4
Failing to fit well into a situation or system
  • adjective
  • /ˌmælədʒˈʌstɪd/
translation icon : desajustado
  • The foster dog was maladjusted due to neglect in its early life.

Examples

  • A maladjusted carburetor can cause an engine to run poorly.

  • After years of frequent moves, he became a maladjusted teenager struggling to fit in at school.

  • The maladjusted child struggled to make friends.

  • He felt maladjusted in his new school.

  • The child's maladjusted behavior in school indicated that he was struggling to fit in with his peers.

  • After moving to a new city, I felt maladjusted and overwhelmed by the changes around me.

  • His maladjusted view of relationships made it hard for him to connect with others.

Synonyms

maladaptive
vsmaladjusted
  • Specialized
2 8.4

A way of behaving that does not help and causes problems

refers to improper adjustment without implying harm
maladapted
vsmaladjusted
7.8

Not suited to a place or situation so it does not work well there

focuses on improper adjustment to demands rather than only being ill suited
maladjustive
vsmaladjusted
  • Specialized
9.9

Having trouble dealing with a situation or its demands

names improper adjustment especially focused on meeting situational demands
unadjusted
vsmaladjusted
5.4

Not able to live or work comfortably in a new place

describes being improperly adjusted rather than simply unchanged

Antonyms

well-adjusted
20 4.4

Emotionally healthy and able to handle daily life problems

adapted
3.7

Changed to fit a particular use or situation

How Adaptive

adaptive
33 4.9
adapted
3.7
unadapted
7.3
maladjusted
7.4

Surface Forms

maladjusted positive

Morphology

maladjusted = adjusted (transparent) = mal + adjust + ed

The negative prefix 'mal-' combines with 'adjusted' to form a predictable adjectival meaning 'not properly adjusted'.

Etymology

The word maladjusted is made of mal- 'bad' or 'wrong' and adjust 'to set right' or 'to fit', the same idea you see in malfunction or when you adjust a machine. So a maladjusted object or person is 'not properly adjusted' for its situation and will not work or fit well.