ABORTIVE Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

abortive

adjective

ə-ˈbȯr-tiv

Definition of abortive

as in unsuccessful

producing no results an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abortive Garbowit recalls that there were only around sixteen members of Congress lined up behind Thanedor’s abortive resolution—so the fact that Green’s follow-up motion garnered seventy-nine supporters in the caucus is a sign of progress. — Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it). — Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026 The social media profiles of some Moran personnel also show they were linked to Wagner, which was effectively liquidated after its then boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an abortive revolt in Russia in 2023. — Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025 Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality. — ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abortive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abortive

Adjective

Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 July 2026
However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 July 2026

Definition of unsuccessful

Adjective

Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026
All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of futile

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abortions

abortive

abortiveness

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“Abortive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abortive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of abortive

adjective

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