1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
his efforts to restore the neglected houseplant back to health were belated and sadly inefficacious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
an inefficacious medication for a rare form of tuberculosis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
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
-
Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
The fight against short-term rentals, after all, can be futile.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 June 2025
-
But without Congress actually enacting the DOGE cuts into law, history will show this entire exercise to have been largely futile.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The character who can go through walls is useless, because beyond the walls is nothing but dirt.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
-
For one, any melasma treatment is practically useless without them.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Surgery may be considered if nonsurgical methods are ineffective or the underlying cause indicates surgery is the most effective option.—
Sukaina Hasnie,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2025
-
The only part that is covered by insurance is the damaged and ultimately ineffective safe, Jonathan Youssef said.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Still, Marles suggested the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies were counterproductive.—
Tara Copp,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
-
At times of economic, social and planetary upheaval, best practice is counterproductive.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficacious. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share