1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffectual effort to find the trail again did at least lead them to another stunning view of the canyon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
another ineffectual plan to lose weight without dieting or exercising
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffectual
The data indicates that Trump’s idiosyncratic efforts to target individual companies for presidential bullying were ineffectual.
—
Steven Tian, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Dyer dismissed concerns that the arrests are ineffectual, saying the camping ban is just one part of the city's broader strategy to address homelessness, which includes investing in shelter and affordable housing.
—Vanessa Rancaño, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
Perón died a year later and was succeeded by his third wife, the ineffectual Isabel Perón.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
But the most sinister aspect of the movie, to me, is how banal its serial rapists are—how corny and ineffectual, these cringeworthy failsons.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ineffectual 
Steven Tian, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2024
Dyer dismissed concerns that the arrests are ineffectual, saying the camping ban is just one part of the city's broader strategy to address homelessness, which includes investing in shelter and affordable housing.
—Vanessa Rancaño, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
Perón died a year later and was succeeded by his third wife, the ineffectual Isabel Perón.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
But the most sinister aspect of the movie, to me, is how banal its serial rapists are—how corny and ineffectual, these cringeworthy failsons.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
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Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and Walnut Grove Fire District personnel searched that first night from the air and aboard boats equipped with sonar and powerful magnets to detect the submerged vehicle but were unsuccessful.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Feb. 2025
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The Celtics held an 11-point lead five minutes into the third quarter when Brown elevated for an unsuccessful dunk attempt on Cleveland’s Georges Niang.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Telling people to evacuate with no plan — or even an actual route — seems pretty futile.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
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That disaster is remembered for the heroic action of federal worker Lenny Skutnik, a bystander who watched a helicopter’s futile effort to pull survivors from the river.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Kidwell, who bills himself a Christian conservative Republican, said the Trump administration is right to take aim in Washington at wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy.—
Alan Wooten | The Center Square,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
8 Feb. 2025
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The move caps nearly three weeks of efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle America’s foreign aid infrastructure, which the president and his advisers argue is bloated, inefficient, and out of step with American values.—
Jacob Turcotte,
The Christian Science Monitor,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Power losses also left area water pumps useless for hours during the 2017 Thomas fire.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2025
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The holding midfielder Antonio Blanco tried to step into Yamal but a quick flick of his left foot meant that Blanco’s tackle was useless.—
Pol Ballús,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Finally, decades of strict criminal responses to drug use have not only proven to be largely ineffective but also dramatically unfair.—
Michael Abrams,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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Some of them ended up being very effective (Anthony DeSclafani, Wood), and some of them were ineffective (Aaron Sanchez, Scott Kazmir).—
Grant Brisbee,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But this may have been counterproductive, at least for the penguin colonies.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 Feb. 2025
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Potentially dumping Hoerner’s salary to make Bregman’s numbers work within a budget for baseball operations would be counterproductive.—
Patrick Mooney,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ineffectual
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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