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
After blowing a lead and giving up five third-period goals to Vegas, the Kings were utterly feckless in the final frame against Edmonton.
—
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
As head coach, Conte was responsible for motivating his supposedly feckless players.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Kelly, clearly, will keep standing up to these feckless attempts at coercion.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Blaine is not quite as feckless, but Sherman has an ace in the hole in Garfield, who agrees to endorse him in a speech.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feckless
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
As head coach, Conte was responsible for motivating his supposedly feckless players.
—Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Kelly, clearly, will keep standing up to these feckless attempts at coercion.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Blaine is not quite as feckless, but Sherman has an ace in the hole in Garfield, who agrees to endorse him in a speech.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feckless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feckless
Adjective
-
Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said his unsuccessful bid to buy the San Diego Padres assumed that the entire 2027 MLB season would likely be lost due to labor strife.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
-
The assailant stabbed the pope with a bayonet, but the assassination attempt was unsuccessful.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, conventional anaerobic digestion remains relatively inefficient, with the process typically converting less than 40% of the sludge's carbon into usable gas.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
-
From Tecolote to Liberty Station, the city has proven inefficient at managing property.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The current environment of Democrat versus Republican, us versus them, renders the entire body ineffectual and incapable of independent agency and thought.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The processing element tiles operate on compressed matrices, eliminating all unnecessary and ineffectual computation.—
Olivia Hsu,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Administration officials singling out wind was counterproductive to ongoing bipartisan Congressional talks on reforming the federal permitting system for all forms of energy, Grumet said.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
In some cases, attempts to diagnose and treat can be counterproductive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Feckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feckless. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
