ineffectual
adjective
in·ef·fec·tu·al
ˌi-nə-ˈfek-chə(-wə)l 
-ˈfeksh-wəl
1
: not producing the proper or intended effect : futile
ineffectualness
noun
Examples of ineffectual in a Sentence
an ineffectual effort to find the trail again did at least lead them to another stunning view of the canyon
another ineffectual plan to lose weight without dieting or exercising
Recent Examples on the Web
Their newly single mother went off for a year to train as a mountain guide, leaving the girls with their gentle, ineffectual hippie father.
—
Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
At the center of the film is Mikal’s relationship with his mother, while Jason is more a peripheral figure, an ineffectual referee between two warring parties, managing to negotiate only temporary truces.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 30 Mar. 2025
Duplass slides easily into his role an ineffectual loser (no offense).
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Without the backing and the power of the United States, by then the richest country in the world, the League of Nations became an ineffectual shell of what it was meant to be.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
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Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
At the center of the film is Mikal’s relationship with his mother, while Jason is more a peripheral figure, an ineffectual referee between two warring parties, managing to negotiate only temporary truces.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 30 Mar. 2025
Duplass slides easily into his role an ineffectual loser (no offense).
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Without the backing and the power of the United States, by then the richest country in the world, the League of Nations became an ineffectual shell of what it was meant to be.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ineffectual. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ineffectual
adjective
in·ef·fec·tu·al
ˌin-ə-ˈfek-chə(-wə)l
-ˈfeksh-wəl
1
: not producing the proper or usual effect
an ineffectual attempt
ineffectualness
noun
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