feckless

adjective

ˈfek-ləs How to pronounce feckless (audio)
Definition of fecklessnext
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of feckless The progressive left counts Rabb’s success as one of its biggest victories of the year and the latest warning sign that Democratic voters see the party’s leadership as weak and feckless in countering Trump. — Marc Levy, Fortune, 23 May 2026 Increasingly, that’s something the often feckless Republican Party is unwilling to do. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026 The two Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, spoke of a halcyon California destroyed by feckless Democrats and vowed a return to those days. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026 One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for feckless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feckless
  1. unsuccessful
  2. inefficient
  3. ineffectual
  4. counterproductive
Adjective
  • Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • As the large inefficient buses are phased out, this would significantly reduce the capital expenditures that Lynx requires.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • By that logic, if a route is long and inefficient, platforms should simply raise drivers’ pay and pass on the fare hike to the passenger.
    — Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of inefficient
Adjective
  • Lekkerimäki, effectively, is both undersized, struggles to maintain possession of the puck along the wall, is an ineffectual defender and isn’t quick or fast enough to create the separation required to leverage his offensive tools against checkers.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • In Australia, a similar ban has proven almost totally ineffectual.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 June 2026
Definition of ineffectual
Adjective
  • What this framework dismantles is a common and counterproductive myth—that friendships either spark instantly or are not worth pursuing.
    — Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Johnson continued this week to push for his foolish and counterproductive desire to impose a $33-per-month tax on each Chicago job generated by the city’s largest private-sector employers.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of counterproductive

Browse Nearby Words

feces
feckless
feckly
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Feckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feckless. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on feckless

Nglish: Translation of feckless for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All