ineffective

adjective

ˌi-nə-ˈfek-tiv How to pronounce ineffective (audio)
Definition of ineffectivenext
1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result an ineffective effort to reduce unemployment that only spurred inflation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results an ineffective medication that will be denied FDA approval

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 ineffective The federal workforce was initially built in the 19th century more on party loyalty than merit, which eventually triggered a corrupt and ineffective spoils system. — Michael P. Dempsey, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Oftentimes, league bottom feeders are bottom feeders for a reason … ineffective coaching, talent deficiency, front office mismanagement, etc. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Uzbekistan, yes, but was ineffective against DR Congo and Colombia, and is the only Portugal player to appear in every minute of the group stage. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 30 June 2026 Perhaps unsurprisingly, subsequent attempts at diplomacy, led by the ailing diplomat and intellectual Benjamin Franklin, also proved ineffective. — Sarah M.s. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffective
  1. unsuccessful
  2. futile
  3. inefficient
  4. useless
  5. counterproductive
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
Adjective
  • When operations are inefficient or inconsistent because the underlying tech can’t keep up, customers quickly get frustrated.
    — James Loffler, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Clicking on a task opens it up in a dedicated page, which is a remarkably inefficient use of space.
    — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of inefficient
Adjective
  • At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
  • An ultra-secure cloud environment is useless if the identity management policy is lax or if access privileges are not reviewed on a strict need-to-know basis.
    — Vicente Pava, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of useless
Adjective
  • In his letter, Leo repeated the Vatican's offer of dialogue and said that going through with the consecrations would be counterproductive for the SSPX faithful.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • This sophisticated system prevents metabolically expensive and functionally counterproductive perpetual growth, ensuring hair serves specific protective and insulating roles.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of counterproductive

Browse Nearby Words

ineffaceable
ineffective
ineffectively
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on ineffective

Nglish: Translation of ineffective for Spanish Speakers

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