ineffective
adjective
\
Definition of ineffective
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for ineffective
Synonyms
counterproductive, feckless, hamstrung, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, inexpedient
Antonyms
effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, expedient, operant, ultraefficient
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of ineffective in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After Britain banned the export of one of the similar devices in 2010, the scheme started to unravel as independent tests proved the devices were totally ineffective and had no scientific basis. — Kaweewit Kaewjinda, Fox News, "Thai businessman convicted of selling fake bomb detectors," 27 Sep. 2018 Maikel Franco simply isn’t cutting it at third base, and at shortstop, top prospect J.P. Crawford has been ineffective and hurt. — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Midseason Roundtable: The SI Staff Makes Some Second-Half Predictions," 11 July 2018 Democrats have argued that building a wall on the southwestern border is ineffective and a waste of resources, and rejected hard-line proposals to limit legal immigration. — Linda Qiu, New York Times, "No, Democrats Don’t Want ‘Open Borders’," 27 June 2018 Such remedies, Delrahim argued, were often ineffective and created a pseudo-regulatory process that the courts were ill-equipped to enforce. — Felix Gillette, Bloomberg.com, "Get Ready for Big Media to Get Bigger After AT&T Victory," 13 June 2018 Other experts advise that framing vaccine worries as a debate or fight is ineffective and even counterproductive. — NBC News, "Public support for vaccines drops a bit," 21 May 2018 Thomas has been dreadfully ineffective and cranky, twice leaving the postgame locker room before reporters were allowed in. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "Cousins’ injury a multi-layered mess," 27 Jan. 2018 If you're maligned with nodules or cysts, most OTC options are totally ineffective and your best bet is to be treated by a dermatologist. — Molly Nover-baker, Redbook, "How to Get Rid of Annoying Acne, So You Don't Have to Feel Like a Miserable Teenager," 27 Dec. 2016 Partisan bickering has brought us the most ineffective Congress ever, led by Rep. Steve Scalise. — Drew Broach, NOLA.com, "Tammy Savoie, retired Air Force colonel, running for Congress against Steve Scalise," 15 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ineffective.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for ineffective
ineffective
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of ineffective
See the full definition for ineffective in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ineffective
adjective
\
Kids Definition of ineffective
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on ineffective
What made you want to look up ineffective? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
-
- Which came first?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
-
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?
Which word entered the English language first?
Take the quiz -
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Bee Cubed
Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.
Play the game
Share ineffective
Resources for ineffective