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
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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 country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—
Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
The businessman who has never run for office before portrayed Kansas as a state that has stagnated under the leadership of ineffectual Republicans and radical Democrats.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Their country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—Janie Har, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—Dan Gooding
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
The businessman who has never run for office before portrayed Kansas as a state that has stagnated under the leadership of ineffectual Republicans and radical Democrats.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Their country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—Janie Har, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—Dan Gooding
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
-
Romo was starting to describe how Mahomes was complaining about the attempt being unsuccessful when he was interrupted by the Chiefs running the ball and picking up the first down.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
However, the shooting was unsuccessful and Alex suffered only superficial wounds.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This advocacy, however, proved futile.—
Time,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
-
False accusations cannot be rebutted, and any attempt to secure compensation or correction through the courts is futile; no open debate is allowed in the domain of thought and art.—
Jonny Diamond,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The videos pop up instantly—before my brain has had time to picture the prompts using my own imagination, as if the act of dreaming has been rendered obsolete, inefficient.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
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His lab is focused on improving the chemical synthesis of mirror proteins, a process which is currently very inefficient.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But to borrow Manidis’s framework, the drive to create such a tool conflates useless toil with meaningful labor.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
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The rules of grammar were useless now, and never truly rules.—
Sam Lipsyte,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Quarterback Geno Smith was highly ineffective, passing for just 67 yards on 10 completions, while the Vegas run game mustered just 25 yards on 11 carries.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Matvei Michkov has just one goal coming late in the Flyers’ loss to the Jets on Thursday, but was once again benched for the second half of the third period after too many ineffective shifts and careless plays with the puck.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Still, student editors argue the move to cut print is counterproductive since advertising revenue generated $11,000 in profit from three print editions this semester.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
17 Oct. 2025
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On face value, this seems counterproductive for even a microorganism, where replication and in turn genetic survival is a driving force.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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