1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
an ineffectual effort to find the trail again did at least lead them to another stunning view of the canyon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
another ineffectual plan to lose weight without dieting or exercising
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineffectual
The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—
Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Being made to look ineffectual—particularly at a moment when public opinion would reward him for toughness—could well goad Trump into taking action.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
One of those two justices focused on how it was underused, rendering it ineffectual for deterring others from committing crimes.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Being made to look ineffectual—particularly at a moment when public opinion would reward him for toughness—could well goad Trump into taking action.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ineffectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineffectual
Adjective
-
An attempt to get a comment from Scrooge Sul about the allegations was unsuccessful.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The man had surgical hardware in his right ankle but attempts to identify him from the serial numbers were unsuccessful, according to the medical examiner’s office.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Catcher Logan O’Hoppe picked it up and then threw it away in a futile attempt to get the out at first.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Additionally, in a typical year, 17 million gallons of gas are spilled due to the inefficient manner the fuel is conveyed.—
Chris Hildreth,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
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With the help of Ware’s positive minutes, the Heat survived an inefficient shooting night from Adebayo.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bernadine appeared to be useless—or, worse, a potential double agent.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Sending your resume into the void has never felt more useless.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When the law that governs CARE Court was being written, many advocacy groups insisted that coercion is ineffective and that modern mental health care favors treating people in the least restrictive settings possible.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Their navy has been deemed combat ineffective.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The leaks also led to major changes at Meta and in the tech industry, which began to weed out research that could be viewed as counterproductive for the companies.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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These structured habits—doing the same thing in the same place at the same time of day—were more likely to lead to long-term success than attempting to squelch counterproductive impulses in the moment.—
Francine Russo,
Scientific American,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ineffectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineffectual. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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