INEFFECTIVE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for INEFFECTIVE?

Need another word that means the same as “ineffective”? Find 30 synonyms and 30 related words for “ineffective” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Ineffective” are: ineffectual, uneffective, unable, inefficient, unsuccessful, unproductive, fruitless, profitless, unprofitable, abortive, failed, futile, purposeless, worthless, useless, inefficacious, inadequate, vain, unavailing, to no effect, powerless, impotent, incompetent, incapable, unfit, inept, lame, feeble, weak, poor

Ineffective as an Adjective

Definitions of "Ineffective" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “ineffective” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Lacking the ability or skill to perform effectively; inadequate.
• Not producing any significant or desired effect.
• Lacking in power or forcefulness.
• Not producing an intended effect.

Synonyms of "Ineffective" as an adjective (30 Words)

abortive	(of an organ or organism) rudimentary; arrested in development. Abortive medusae.
failed	(of an undertaking or a relationship) not achieving its end or not lasting; unsuccessful. A failed transport company.
feeble	Lacking strength. I know it s feeble but I ve never been one to stand up for myself.
fruitless	Failing to achieve the desired results; unproductive or useless. A banana leaf from a fruitless palm.
futile	Unproductive of success. A futile attempt to keep fans from mounting the stage.
impotent	Lacking power or ability- Freeman J.Dyson. He was on medication which had made him impotent.
inadequate	Lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task. An inadequate income.
incapable	(of a person) too caring or moral to do (something. The pilot may become incapable from the lack of oxygen.
incompetent	Showing lack of skill or aptitude. The patient is deemed legally incompetent.
ineffectual	Lacking in power or forcefulness. An ineffectual campaign.
inefficacious	Not producing the desired effect. Laws that are inefficacious in stopping crime.
inefficient	Not producing desired results; wasteful. Inefficient transport systems.
inept	Revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse. If the rumor is true can anything be more inept than to repeat it now.
lame	Disabled in the feet or legs. A lame argument.
poor	Lacking in specific resources, qualities or substances. A poor land.
powerless	Without ability, influence, or power. Troops were powerless to stop last night s shooting.
profitless	Without profit or reward- D.D.Eisenhower- Shakespeare. Let us have no part in profitless quarrels.
purposeless	Done or made with no discernible point or purpose. A life essentially purposeless.
to no effect	Quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns for indicating a complete or almost complete lack or zero quantity of.
unable	Lacking necessary physical or mental ability. Dyslexics are unable to learn to read adequately.
unavailing	Producing no result or effect. Their efforts were unavailing.
uneffective	Not producing an intended effect.
unfit	Below the required standards for a purpose. Fat and very unfit.
unproductive	(of an activity or period) not achieving much; not very useful. Unproductive meetings.
unprofitable	(of a business or activity) not yielding profit or financial gain. There has been much unprofitable speculation.
unsuccessful	Not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome. An unsuccessful attempt to enter Parliament.
useless	Not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome. We tried to pacify him but it was useless.
vain	Producing no result; useless. A vain attempt.
weak	Relating to or denoting the weakest of the known kinds of force between particles which acts only at distances less than about 10 cm is very much weaker than the electromagnetic and the strong interactions and conserves neither strangeness parity nor isospin. A weak plot.
worthless	Lacking in usefulness or value. Joan had been deserted by a worthless husband.

Usage Examples of "Ineffective" as an adjective

• A weak and ineffective president.
• Ineffective legislation.
• An ineffective teacher.
• The legal sanctions against oil spills are virtually ineffective.
• An ineffective administration.

Associations of "Ineffective" (30 Words)

bungling	Lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands- Mary H. A bungling performance.
feckless	Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible. Her feckless younger brother.
fruitless	(of a tree or plant) not producing fruit. His fruitless attempts to publish poetry.
futile	Producing no result or effect. Futile years after her artistic peak.
garbage	Rubbish or waste, especially domestic refuse. A garbage dump.
incapable	Unable to do or achieve (something. Incapable of doing the work.
incompetence	Inability to do something successfully; ineptitude. Allegations of professional incompetence.
incompetent	An incompetent person. Incompetent at chess.
ineffectual	Not producing any significant or desired effect. The therapy was ineffectual.
inefficiency	The state of not achieving maximum productivity; failure to make the best use of time or resources. The idea is to eliminate inefficiency creating a seamless manufacturing process.
inept	Not elegant or graceful in expression. The referee s inept handling of the match.
infertile	Incapable of reproducing. Infertile couples are offered specialist advice.
infertility	Inability to conceive children or young. Ecological problems such as increasing soil infertility.
invalid	Remove (someone) from active service in the armed forces because of injury or illness. She spent the rest of her life as an invalid.
maladroit	Inefficient or inept; clumsy. A maladroit movement of his hand caused the car to swerve.
powerless	Without ability, influence, or power. Troops were powerless to stop last night s shooting.
prodigal	A person who leaves home to lead a prodigal life but later makes a repentant return. The government wished to clip the wings of the local authority prodigals.
prodigality	Excessive spending.
senile	(of a condition) characteristic of or caused by old age. She couldn t cope with her senile husband.
spendthrift	A person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way. A spendthrift uncle.
sterile	(of a plant) not able to produce fruit or seeds. A sterile ideology lacking in originality.
sterility	(of non-living objects) the state of being free of pathogenic organisms. The disease can cause sterility in males.
tactless	Having or showing a lack of skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues. It was tactless to bring up those disagreeable.
unable	(usually followed by `to’) lacking necessary physical or mental ability. She was unable to conceal her surprise.
unavailing	Producing no result or effect. Their efforts were unavailing.
unfruitful	Not producing fruit or crops; unfertile. Single trees are often unfruitful and mixed planting is desirable.
unproductive	(of an activity or period) not achieving much; not very useful. The talks between labor and management were unproductive.
unskilled	Lacking professional skill or expertise. Unskilled labor.
useless	Having no ability or skill in a specified activity or area. He was useless at football.
wasteful	Inefficient in use of time and effort and materials. When wasteful war shall statues overturn.