1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
his efforts to restore the neglected houseplant back to health were belated and sadly inefficacious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
an inefficacious medication for a rare form of tuberculosis
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Recent Examples of inefficacious
Most wore inefficacious cloth masks, too.
—
James Lileks, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022
Day — who grew up watching the spelling bee — came up with the concept of exploring the psyche of a winner with an ultimately inefficacious career in 2015 while at a UCB improv sketch-writing class.
—NBC News, 6 Oct. 2020
James Lileks, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022
Day — who grew up watching the spelling bee — came up with the concept of exploring the psyche of a winner with an ultimately inefficacious career in 2015 while at a UCB improv sketch-writing class.
—NBC News, 6 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficacious
Adjective
-
Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
-
During the most recent campaign and in a previous unsuccessful run for mayor, Laesch claimed Irvin prioritized government contracts or incentives to those who donated to his campaign, which Irvin consistently denied.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tackling plant problems at the wrong time in a plant’s or insect’s life cycle can be futile and environmentally harmful.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.—
Dale Robertson,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, since many pre-flight tasks involve phone and computer touchscreens and the use of bare hands, a crew member who has to constantly put on and take off gloves would probably find the process both annoying and inefficient.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Go much faster, and the drag can make a sedan as inefficient as an SUV.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of being an anchoring penultimate episode, the entire display felt useless and confusing, as if the audience was suddenly watching an entirely different television program.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In my tests, the feature was almost completely useless.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The foursome was similarly ineffective keeping Betts from getting to her spots, unable to deter lobs over the top of post-ups in isolation.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
During the pandemic, compounders charged exorbitant prices for ivermectin, even after the drug proved ineffective against COVID-19.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When both Chicago and Illinois have significantly lagged the nation as a whole in terms of economic growth, there are few tax ideas more counterproductive than penalizing big companies for employing people within a city’s boundaries.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Still, as California real estate broker Doug Shepherd previously shared with BHG, sometimes waiting too long for the market to improve—with lower rates and more affordable pricing—can be counterproductive.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inefficacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficacious. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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