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

Need another word that means the same as “inefficient”? Find 24 synonyms and 30 related words for “inefficient” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Inefficient” are: ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, incompetent, inept, incapable, unfit, unsuitable, unskilled, unskilful, inexpert, amateurish, uneconomical, wasteful, purposeless, unproductive, slow, slow-moving, awkward, unwieldy, cumbersome, deficient, disorganized, unsystematic

Inefficient as an Adjective

Definitions of "Inefficient" as an adjective

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

• Not achieving maximum productivity; wasting or failing to make the best use of time or resources.
• Not producing desired results; wasteful.
• Lacking the ability or skill to perform effectively; inadequate.

Synonyms of "Inefficient" as an adjective (24 Words)

amateurish	Lacking professional skill or expertise. A very amateurish job.
awkward	Causing or feeling uneasy embarrassment or inconvenience. Luther s awkward movements impeded his progress.
cumbersome	Not elegant or graceful in expression. Organizations with cumbersome hierarchical structures.
deficient	Of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement. Deficient in common sense.
disorganized	Lacking order or methodical arrangement or function. She s very muddled and disorganized.
incapable	(followed by `of’) lacking capacity or ability. Incapable of doing the work.
incompetent	Not qualified to act in a particular capacity. Incompetent at chess.
ineffective	Not producing an intended effect. An ineffective teacher.
ineffectual	Lacking in power or forcefulness. An ineffectual ruler.
inefficacious	Lacking the power to produce a desired effect. Social conventions honed over thousands of years were suddenly inefficacious.
inept	Revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse. The referee s inept handling of the match.
inexpert	Having or showing a lack of skill or knowledge. An inexpert transcription from the real music.
purposeless	Having no aim or plan. His purposeless life.
slow	At a slow tempo. Business is dull or slow.
slow-moving	Moving slowly.
uneconomical	Wasteful of money or other resources; not economical. The old buses eventually become uneconomical to run.
unfit	(of a thing) not of the necessary quality or standard to meet a particular purpose. Fat and very unfit.
unproductive	Not producing or able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities. Unproductive meetings.
unskilful	Not having or showing skill. Though kind and willing she was unskilful.
unskilled	Not having or requiring special skill or training. Unskilled workmanship.
unsuitable	Not capable of being applied. A solvent unsuitable for use on wood surfaces.
unsystematic	Lacking systematic arrangement or method or organization. The burial mound was excavated in an unsystematic way.
unwieldy	Difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape. Huge unwieldy arc lamps.
wasteful	Tending to squander and waste. When wasteful war shall statues overturn.

Usage Examples of "Inefficient" as an adjective

• An inefficient campaign against drugs.
• Inefficient workers.
• Inefficient transport systems.
• Outdated and inefficient design and methods.
• The government was both inefficient and corrupt.

Associations of "Inefficient" (30 Words)

bin	Throw something away by putting it in a bin. Paint on the bottles indicated which way up they should be binned.
cash	Exchange for cash. A discount for cash.
consume	Serve oneself to or consume regularly. People consume a good deal of sugar in drinks.
costly	Entailing great loss or sacrifice. Costly jewelry.
deluxe	Ostentatiously rich and superior in quality. A deluxe hotel.
dissipation	Loss of energy through its conversion into heat. Energy dissipation.
expendable	(used of funds) remaining after taxes. The region is expendable in the wider context of national politics.
expensive	Costing a lot of money. Keeping a horse is expensive.
extravagance	The quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth. His reckless extravagance with other people s money.
extravagant	Exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate; excessive or elaborate. Extravagant claims about the merchandise.
fling	The act of flinging. One final fling before a tranquil retirement.
garbage	Rubbish or waste, especially domestic refuse. Garbage littered the estate.
ineffective	Lacking in power or forcefulness. An ineffective administration.
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.
lavish	Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious. Lavish praise.
luxury	Luxurious or of the nature of a luxury. Luxury goods.
million	(in Roman numerals, M written with a macron over it) denoting a quantity consisting of 1,000,000 items or units. There were millions of flies.
outlay	The act of spending or disbursing money. Comparatively little financial outlay.
prodigal	A person who leaves home to lead a prodigal life but later makes a repentant return. The dessert was prodigal with whipped cream.
prodigality	The trait of spending extravagantly.
profligacy	Reckless extravagance or wastefulness in the use of resources. An era of extreme decadence and profligacy.
profligate	Licentious; dissolute. He is a drunkard and a profligate.
slow	Of a sports field or ground likely to make the ball bounce or run slowly or to prevent competitors from travelling fast. Investment has slowed down.
spending	The act of spending or disbursing money.
spendthrift	Someone who spends money prodigally. Putt was a spendthrift and a heavy gambler.
splurge	A large or excessive amount of something. I splurged on a new TV.
waste	Run off as waste. A life characterized by thriftlessness and waste.
wastebasket	A container with an open top; for discarded paper and other rubbish.
wasteful	Inefficient in use of time and effort and materials. A clumsy and wasteful process.
wastrel	Someone who dissipates resources self-indulgently. I have no intention of seeing my dues gambled away by your wastrel of a son.