1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
his efforts to restore the neglected houseplant back to health were belated and sadly inefficacious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
an inefficacious medication for a rare form of tuberculosis
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Recent Examples of inefficacious
Most wore inefficacious cloth masks, too.
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James Lileks, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022
Day — who grew up watching the spelling bee — came up with the concept of exploring the psyche of a winner with an ultimately inefficacious career in 2015 while at a UCB improv sketch-writing class.
—NBC News, 6 Oct. 2020
James Lileks, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022
Day — who grew up watching the spelling bee — came up with the concept of exploring the psyche of a winner with an ultimately inefficacious career in 2015 while at a UCB improv sketch-writing class.
—NBC News, 6 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficacious
Adjective
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School’s Punishment of Black Student Suspended Over Hairstyle Doesn’t Violate the Law, Judge Rules Sawicki, who is representing the plaintiff, told the Dallas Morning News that efforts to settle the case out of court were unsuccessful, which led to the filing of the lawsuit.David Chiu, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
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An attempt to steal an ATM inside the store was unsuccessful.Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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All hell breaks loose, and Gambit decides to take on the futile task of attempting to stop the Master Mold and end the attack.Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
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So mixing in a player who's shown flashes of upside but just hasn't gotten the right opportunity with a black hole organization such as the Jets could be a recipe for another futile experiment.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Create a Department of Government Efficiency Fund Regulatory bloat is not only costly for businesses but also for taxpayers who foot the bill for wasteful and inefficient agencies.James Broughel, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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These reactions show generalized anger over the lack of control people have over their economic lives, exemplified specifically on how health care is provided and paid for in our nation and how that unjust and inefficient system has been allowed, if not openly fostered, by government policy.Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This is a fashion collab designed for women’s bodies to be looked at, but the functionality is useless.Jamie Aranoff, Outside Online, 12 Dec. 2024
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It was built on NBA men who subsidized that useless league for decades.Asher Notheis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The president would have leaned even more heavily into the democracy protection themes that proved ineffective and would probably have remained more defensive about the economy, which exit polls showed was the top issue.W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
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Any other penalty structure will be ineffective at deterring bad behavior.Letters to the editor, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Divisive, counterproductive, and morale-destroying woke and DEI policies that have permeated the military have resulted in a cratering of recruitment.Michael Zais, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Nov. 2024
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President Biden has faced scrutiny for his decision as several Democrats on Capitol Hill have condemned the move as counterproductive to their party’s efforts toward rebuilding public trust in American institutions derided by President-elect Trump.Juliann Ventura, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near inefficacious
Cite this Entry
“Inefficacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficacious. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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