as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
inefficient measures to solve the problem of teenage smoking
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Recent Examples of inefficient
The audit additionally noted that much of Cal-OSHA’s documentation is paper-based, which auditors noted is both inefficient and can lead to errors.
—
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2025
Most methods are inefficient, and most involve humans somehow finding the nearly invisible snakes.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025
The vehicles are inefficient, and the fuel is expensive, difficult to store, and hard to find.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
More than half of C-suite leaders who responded are also concerned about existing document generation workflows and see their processes as inefficient.
—Julien Villemonteix, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2025
Most methods are inefficient, and most involve humans somehow finding the nearly invisible snakes.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025
The vehicles are inefficient, and the fuel is expensive, difficult to store, and hard to find.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
More than half of C-suite leaders who responded are also concerned about existing document generation workflows and see their processes as inefficient.
—Julien Villemonteix, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficient
Adjective
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Neighbors attempted to rescue her but were unsuccessful, the sheriff’s office said.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Joe Raedle/Getty Images Loomer was unsuccessful in two separate congressional campaigns in Florida: one in 2020 and another in 2022.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This process is largely ineffective at temperatures under 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit (10,000 degrees Celsius).—
Perri Thaler,
Space.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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That’s where the sandwich comes in — a mockery of the military presence, so obviously ineffective that it was supposed to make the whole situation look stupid.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This can be counterproductive for long-term weight management, as muscle loss can lower the number of calories burned at rest.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
29 July 2025
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Observers have noted that closing the Strait of Hormuz would be counterproductive for Iran, which relies on the waterway to get its own oil to customers, mostly in China.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficient. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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