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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Recent Examples of ineffectual
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
An evil global cabal, an ineffectual justice system, the exercise of unchecked power by untrustworthy experts—these are familiar themes.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
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
An evil global cabal, an ineffectual justice system, the exercise of unchecked power by untrustworthy experts—these are familiar themes.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
-
If an actor is unsuccessful, their information will be retained only for as long as the Casting Director reasonably considers necessary for record-keeping purposes.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Fertility treatments were unsuccessful.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
That was an appropriate response by Rockies fans when the Rockies mercifully moved on from futile general manager Bill Geivett and insufferable team president Greg Feasel.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
Any attempt to pin down the greatest men’s footballer is therefore futile at best and highly subjective at worst.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the Fortune Global Forum in 2023, entrepreneur Parag Khanna argued that the current ratio — roughly 95% of climate effort going to mitigation and only 5% to adaptation — is not just inefficient but ethically troubling.—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Those accomplishments help explain why many analysts view her turnovers as a byproduct of her extraordinary workload rather than evidence of inefficient play.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Radical approaches to what is precious and what is worthless—or appraisal—have always been more than the inversion of that which is useless made priceless, what was originally meant to be ephemeral made timeless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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Radio waves are nearly useless beneath the surface.—
Omar Kardoudi
June 06,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
That review has been a mainstay of America's health system, with the FDA acting as a gatekeeper to protect the public from unsafe or ineffective drugs.—
Daniel Gilbert,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
Unions can either be effective or ineffective, and that depends entirely on their members.—
John Vukmirovich,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
But this framing is counterproductive.—
Jamil Wyne,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Further, framing trafficking as episodic and event-based can be counterproductive.—
Jennifer E. O'Brien,
The Conversation,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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