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.
—
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
-
June became hopeful that the American rescue mission would lead to a reunion with her daughter, but that was unsuccessful.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Last year, Harry’s legal action against the Home Office was unsuccessful and the court initially refused him permission to appeal.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Impeachment of judges, however, is widely seen as a futile endeavor on Capitol Hill.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The confrontation ends in an electric if futile horse chase.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The erosion of wealth due to inefficient tax structures underscores the importance of working with specialists who understand how to leverage available tools effectively.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
-
But the small farms are inefficient and help explain a national poverty rate of more than 30%, the bank points out.—
Francine Kiefer,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For most of us, our inbox goals are the same: minimize useless spam, file away messages that don’t require your attention right away, and bring urgent items to the forefront.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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His devastating splitter would be useless without first establishing everything else in the strike zone.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The White House takes aim at the Biden administration and Democrats’ handling of the pandemic, arguing lockdowns were detrimental, masks were ineffective, and the 6-foot distance rule was arbitrarily made up by Fauci.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Apr. 2025
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If both avoidance and OTC medicines are ineffective, an allergist may suggest exposure therapy in the form of shots, which help people become less sensitive to their allergy triggers over time.—
Sarah Cottone,
Health,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cleaner air is always appealing, but rushing into sweeping regulatory shifts that will have little long-term effect would be counterproductive.—
Ryan Nawrocki,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Apr. 2025
-
When Musk is in a bad mood, well, an interview is usually counterproductive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficacious. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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