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
Motors and hydraulics can deliver force but lack finesse and may pose safety risks inside the body, while soft actuators—driven by heat, air, or chemical reactions—tend to be bulky, inefficient, or too slow for practical use.
—
Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2025
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
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
Some betting operators saw this as an inefficient method that risked overcharging relative to user count.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2025
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
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
Some betting operators saw this as an inefficient method that risked overcharging relative to user count.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficient
Adjective
-
But her appeal was unsuccessful.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Industry lobbying unsuccessful to date Some advocates for the restaurant industry have been lobbying to change the way service fees are treated.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The report also concluded that the techniques used were ineffective.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Two years later, after more legal wrangling, the Connecticut Supreme Court voted narrowly to overturn his conviction, ruling that Skakel's right to a fair trial was compromised by ineffective legal representation.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Even Bill Gates, a onetime stalwart champion of climate action, said this week that near-term emissions targets are a distraction at best and could even be counterproductive for human welfare.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
What resulted is one of the most comic, counterproductive, and clumsy episodes in the long history of British efforts to deal with Ireland.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficient. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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