Meaning & use
ineffective
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not producing the result that was wanted.
Grammar: Often followed by against or in: ineffective against pests.
Patterns
- ineffective against something
- ineffective in doing something
The spray proved ineffective against the mosquitoes.
Her warnings were ineffective.
An ineffective plan wasted the budget.
adjectivecomparable
Not good at doing a job or leading others.
Grammar: Describes people or organizations: an ineffective manager.
Patterns
- an ineffective leader
The ineffective manager could not keep the team organized.
Critics called the committee ineffective.
He felt ineffective in his new role.
Word forms
| comparative | more ineffective |
|---|---|
| superlative | most ineffective |
Common combinations
- largely ineffective
- The rule was largely ineffective.
- prove ineffective
- The new law proved ineffective.
- ineffective treatment
- Doctors stopped the ineffective treatment.
- ineffective leadership
- Ineffective leadership hurt the company.
- render ineffective
- Rust rendered the lock ineffective.
Synonyms and how they differ
- useless
- Useless is stronger and blunter, suggesting no value at all.
- futile
- Futile describes efforts that are pointless, not just weak.
- inadequate
- Inadequate means not good enough for a need, rather than failing to work.
- inefficient
- Inefficient is about wasted effort, even if the goal is reached.
Opposites
Word family
- effect noun
- a result
- effective adjective
- producing the wanted result
- ineffectively adverb
- in a way that does not work
- ineffectiveness noun
- failure to work
Commonly confused: ineffective or inefficient? ineffective or ineffectual?
ineffective vs inefficient
Inefficient means wasting time or resources; ineffective means failing to produce the result.
ineffective vs ineffectual
Ineffectual is similar but often describes weak people.
Practice
The medicine was ______ because it did not reduce the fever at all.
Choose one answer.
Ineffective means it did not produce the result. Inefficient would mean it wasted resources while possibly working.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ineffective”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.