find wanting
Deem not enough
To find something wanting is to judge it insufficient or inadequate when measured against a standard.
The phrase comes from the biblical "weighed in the balance and found wanting"—tested and shown to fall short: We examined their proposal and found it wanting.
Often used in formal or literary contexts to express disappointment or disapproval after evaluation.
- inadequateNot sufficient for purpose
- criteriaStandards for judgment
- assessJudge worth or quality
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- miss the markFail to achieve aim
deficient · imperfect · flawed · unsatisfactory · disappoint · lacking · judge · pass judgment · appraise · shortcoming · benchmark · set the bar · condemn · requirement · analyze · evaluate · inspect · expectation