Synonyms for ineffectual
- adjective
Most common
useless futile unavailing fruitless feeble inadequate ineffective feckless
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Useless — unable or insufficient to produce effect
useless, futile, unavailing, fruitless, vain, pointless, meaningless, unsuccessful, barren, void, unproductive, purposeless, inoperative, abortive, sterile, dry, idle, bootless, inefficacious, nugatory, otiose, unfruitful
2. Feeble — worthless; ineffective
feeble, inadequate, worthless, valueless, insufficient, paltry, deficient, no-account informal UK US, incompetent, unsatisfactory, trifling, slender, two-bit slang US
3. Ineffective
4. Feckless — weak, indecisive; lacking forcefulness
feckless, milquetoast informal, ambivalent, effete
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Unable or insufficient to produce effect.
- adj. 2
Worthless; ineffective.
- adj. 3
Weak, indecisive; lacking forcefulness.
Our group leader proved highly ineffectual, caving to every whim put forth by the other members.
Related words
- Word family
- ineffectuality ineffectualness
Choose the right word
That which is bootless, fruitless, or profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result; that which is abortive, ineffectual, or unavailing fails to accomplish a result that it was, or was supposed to be, adapted to accomplish.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- useless There's nothing in here but a lot of useless junk.
- futile When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
- fruitless After three fruitless attempts, he tried one last time.
- unavailing All efforts have been unavailing.
- inadequate At times like this, words are woefully inadequate.
- feeble The feeble patient is suffering from stomach cancer.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| ineffectual | steady | |
| useless | steady | |
| futile | steady | |
| fruitless | steady | |
| unavailing | steady | |
| inadequate | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- dry1
- 4 letters
- weak1, void1, vain1, idle2
- 6 letters
- unable3, futile2, barren2, feeble2, paltry2, effete2, jejune2, otiose3
- 7 letters
- useless2, slender2, sterile2
- 8 letters
- impotent3, abortive3, trifling2, feckless2, bootless, nugatory4
- 9 letters
- pointless2, worthless2, powerless3, deficient3, fruitless2, valueless3
- 10 letters
- inadequate4, ambivalent4, unfruitful, unavailing4
- 11 letters
- meaningless3, ineffective4, incompetent4, inefficient4, inoperative5, purposeless3, milquetoast, uneffective
- 12 letters
- insufficient4, unsuccessful4, unproductive4
- 13 letters
- inefficacious
- 14 letters
- unsatisfactory6
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (idle2 = 2 syllables).