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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffective
Oakland’s current system, including competing branches and organizational disconnections, is inefficient and ineffective.
—
Nate Miley, Mercury News, 17 July 2025
Relying on outdated methods is not only ineffective but increasingly dangerous.
—Luke Boddis, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Chris Woakes has looked horribly ineffective and, in truth, knackered.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Current therapeutic options for such diseases are limited, ineffective or don’t exist at all, and Karin will spearhead the center’s efforts to find new treatments.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Nate Miley, Mercury News, 17 July 2025
Relying on outdated methods is not only ineffective but increasingly dangerous.
—Luke Boddis, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Chris Woakes has looked horribly ineffective and, in truth, knackered.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Current therapeutic options for such diseases are limited, ineffective or don’t exist at all, and Karin will spearhead the center’s efforts to find new treatments.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffective
Adjective
-
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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Although a request for proposals for a new company to run the facility drew interest from at least two companies, neither ended up completing the process to submit a proposal and efforts to reach out to other companies have so far been unsuccessful, Hyde said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
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This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
More than inefficient, manual finance operations introduce unnecessary risk.—
John Rubinetti,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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This is not hyperbole: burning oil to power a car or burning coal to produce electricity is at best slightly more than thirty per cent efficient—or seventy per cent inefficient.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Towns and hamlets have been largely pulverized along the front lines and for miles beyond; even American air defenses are mostly useless, because setting them up invites an immediate Russian attack.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Apart from evidence, some of the most important testimonies in the case were also deemed useless during the investigation.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Don’t run through fatigue: Pushing past your current endurance level may be tempting, but this is counterproductive.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
18 July 2025
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Yet opting not to hire young workers could be counterproductive for building a strong future workforce.—
Liz Elting,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffective. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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