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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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While the administration's efforts to slash the size of the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, court challenges to halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful so far.—
GARY FIELDS AND ELLEN KNICKMEYER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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The two had been hired to kill Pino’s estranged wife, according to the FBI, though their attempts up to that point had been unsuccessful.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For Alok Bansal, a newspaper columnist, the exercise is futile – and threatens to deepen divisions.—
Sushmita Pathak,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Mar. 2025
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Challenging the law again was futile until 2023 when progressives retook a 4–3 majority on the court.—
The Editors,
National Review,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As teams scale, decision-making can become inefficient and accountability can blur.—
Patrick Donegan,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Two critical areas where Kansas struggles are 1) free-throw rate (its 23.9 FTR ranks No. 357 in the nation) and 2) low-volume and inefficient 3-point shooting.—
Tyler Everett,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Those assets are useless on a device like the Deck, and take up unnecessary space.—
Jason Evangelho,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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In stereotypical rich-TV-family fashion, the ultimate symbol of Baba’s success is that both of his sons are sort of useless.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Some were ineffective, such as unconscious bias training.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
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The higher the number (3 being the maximum and X being ineffective), the more effective that status ailment will be.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share cybersecurity tools and initiatives that may not be as effective as they’re commonly believed to be—and in some cases, could even be counterproductive.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Almost everywhere Trump tried economic coercion against adversaries, the results were lackluster or counterproductive.—
Nicholas Mulder,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficacious. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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