1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffectual effort to find the trail again did at least lead them to another stunning view of the canyon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
another ineffectual plan to lose weight without dieting or exercising
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffectual
The processing element tiles operate on compressed matrices, eliminating all unnecessary and ineffectual computation.
—
Olivia Hsu,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 Apr. 2026
The power struggle swirls around the saintly, ineffectual King Henry until gradually the dynamic York, who has pretended to support Margaret while secretly hatching his own plot, emerges as the chief contender for the throne.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Others get more personal, as when Anushka (Meaghan Rath), the ineffectual chief ethicist at a Google-like giant, and her oddball inventor husband, Martin (Simon Helberg), butt heads over her skepticism of his work.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
However, those clauses have proved largely ineffectual, according to Conklin.
—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Olivia Hsu,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 Apr. 2026
The power struggle swirls around the saintly, ineffectual King Henry until gradually the dynamic York, who has pretended to support Margaret while secretly hatching his own plot, emerges as the chief contender for the throne.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Others get more personal, as when Anushka (Meaghan Rath), the ineffectual chief ethicist at a Google-like giant, and her oddball inventor husband, Martin (Simon Helberg), butt heads over her skepticism of his work.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
However, those clauses have proved largely ineffectual, according to Conklin.
—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
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More than a decade ago, her association sought the same change at the federal level and was unsuccessful — opposed at the time by Wine Institute.
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The city had taken it over, but several attempts at renovation were unsuccessful, until Alan Leventhal, chief executive of Beacon Capital Partners, happened to see the building and envisioned it as a great hotel.
Adjective
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Uso’s conquest proved to be futile.
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Some days that hope can seem futile.
Adjective
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Meanwhile, physician and care teams are buckling under substantial administrative pressures, documentation burden, fragmented data and inefficient digital systems, according to research from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Cameron was inefficient from the start.
Adjective
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The six Republican appointees said those protections were effectively useless and not binding.
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Most of the information is useless.
Adjective
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Conventional interventions have been largely ineffective, suggesting a rate increase may be the strongest tool left for policymakers to stabilize the won.
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While some viral health trends are harmless—or simply ineffective—others can put your health at serious risk.
Adjective
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But citing this can mean nearly anything seen as counterproductive.
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But adding those traits at the expense of defensive versatility would be counterproductive.
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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