as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
a well-intentioned but feckless response to the rise in school violence
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Recent Examples of feckless
Whatever adjectives American progressives might use to describe Democrats—feckless, weak, pathetic—the Canadian Liberals are the opposite.
—
Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Even before Ipswich went down to 10 men in the 32nd minute — Leif Davis shown a straight red card for a feckless foul on Bukayo Saka — Arsenal were 2-0 ahead.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
In King Vidor’s Show People (1928), the delightful Marion Davies sends up Hollywood — and her own persona — with the assurance that audiences understood the no-longer-inside jokes, spotted the cameos, and laughed at how the feckless leading man takes credit for the exploits of his stunt double.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
The school essentially was feckless not meting out appropriate discipline and subsequent lack of backing to the teacher.
—Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feckless
Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
Even before Ipswich went down to 10 men in the 32nd minute — Leif Davis shown a straight red card for a feckless foul on Bukayo Saka — Arsenal were 2-0 ahead.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
In King Vidor’s Show People (1928), the delightful Marion Davies sends up Hollywood — and her own persona — with the assurance that audiences understood the no-longer-inside jokes, spotted the cameos, and laughed at how the feckless leading man takes credit for the exploits of his stunt double.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
The school essentially was feckless not meting out appropriate discipline and subsequent lack of backing to the teacher.
—Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feckless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feckless
Adjective
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One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game’s first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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But banking on state governments to match the resources of the federal government—cash, expertise, largess—is an inefficient use of funds, as states in most cases have to stay in the black and cannot use debt for operations like a from-the-ground-up rebuild.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
29 May 2025
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All year long the Red Sox have been plagued by inconsistent offense, inefficient pitching and inexplicable lapses on defense and on the base paths.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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The first step is leaving her well-meaning but ineffectual husband (Jay Duplass) and the second is asking her best friend, Nikki (Jenny Slate), to be her primary caretaker, who agrees without hesitation.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
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For a business, a high-speed connection can mean the difference between productive or ineffectual operations, customer satisfaction or abandonment, and ultimately profit or loss.—
Glenn Katz,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Still, Marles suggested the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies were counterproductive.—
Tara Copp,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
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At times of economic, social and planetary upheaval, best practice is counterproductive.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feckless. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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