Ill-formed

Ill-formed describes something that is poorly or badly constructed, shaped, or organized. This can apply to physical objects, ideas, arguments, plans, or even people's behaviors. It implies a lack of proper structure, coherence, or development, resulting in a flawed or unsatisfactory outcome. The term suggests a deficiency in design, execution, or underlying principles. An ill-formed entity often appears incomplete, nonsensical, or lacking in functionality due to its inherent structural weakness.

Ill-formed meaning with examples

• The architect scrapped the blueprints, deeming the initial design ill-formed, as the proposed structural supports wouldn't adequately bear the building's weight. Its flawed form rendered it unsafe for habitation. This poor construction would certainly lead to its failure.
• Sarah struggled to understand the professor's lecture, finding the arguments presented ill-formed and difficult to follow. The lack of clear transitions and supporting evidence made it a jumbled mess. She needed to reread it many times.
• The company's marketing strategy was deemed ill-formed; its vague target audience and inconsistent messaging led to a significant decrease in customer engagement and sales. The project failed due to this poor formation.
• After spending weeks on the sculpture, the artist realized the clay model was fundamentally ill-formed, with proportions that were off, rendering the artistic piece almost useless and destroying its elegance. The end result would be a mistake.
• The child's ill-formed attempt at writing a story, filled with grammatical errors and an incoherent plot, showed his lack of understanding of basic narrative structure. His early attempt at creative writing needed more structure.