Definition of feckless
1 : weak, ineffective She can't rely on her feckless son.
2 : worthless, irresponsible a feckless maneuver that could only serve to strengthen the enemy — Simon Schama
fecklessly
adverbfecklessness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
feckless was our Word of the Day on 03/14/2009. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of feckless in a Sentence
She can't rely on her feckless son.
a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence
Did You Know?
Someone feckless is lacking in feck. And what, you may ask, is feck? Feck is a Scots term that means "effect" or "majority" and comes from an alteration of the Middle English effect. So something without feck is without effect, or ineffective. In the past, feckful (meaning "efficient," "sturdy," or "powerful") made an occasional appearance. But in this case, the weak has outlived the strong: feckless is a commonly used English word, but feckful has fallen out of use.
Origin and Etymology of feckless
Scots, from feck effect, majority, from Middle English (Scots) fek, alteration of Middle English effect
First Known Use: circa 1585
FECKLESS Defined for English Language Learners
feckless
playDefinition of feckless for English Language Learners
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: having or resulting from a weak character or nature
Learn More about feckless
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See words that rhyme with feckless Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for feckless Spanish Central: Translation of feckless Nglish: Translation of feckless for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of feckless for Arabic speakers
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