dysfunctional
Americanadjective
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not performing normally, as an organ or structure of the body; malfunctioning.
-
having a malfunctioning part or element.
It is hard to get bills through a dysfunctional congress.
-
behaving or acting outside social norms.
All the siblings in their extremely dysfunctional family lost contact as adults.
adjective
-
med (of an organ or part) not functioning normally
-
(esp of a family) characterized by a breakdown of normal or beneficial relationships between members of the group
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dysfunctional
First recorded in 1910–15; dysfunction ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Dysfunctional describes something that doesn't work the way it should. If you know all the printers at the school computer lab are dysfunctional, it's better to print your book report at home. Dys- means "bad," and function means "proper purpose," so when something's working badly, it's dysfunctional. For example, your toaster that always burns the toast is dysfunctional. The word dysfunctional is often used to describe relationships or even whole families whose ways of relating to one another are mentally harmful or are so complicated that nothing feels easy or natural about them.
Vocabulary lists containing dysfunctional
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Basically, we showed that it is not the plaques themselves, or solely dysfunctional neurons, that cause sleep loss but actually microglia," said Macauley.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Opinion is divided on whether these are sensible building blocks for the economy which allow living standards to improve, or a "dysfunctional" economic straitjacket.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Hacks," the tale of a stand-up comedian trying to revive her career and the dysfunctional millennial assistant who helps her, leads the way with 24 nominations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Shifting the narrative from one of growing gloom about the economy, and a sense that politics has become dysfunctional, will be critical, said Patrick Diamond, a former top policy adviser to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
What could be dysfunctional about a mother so spiteful that she intentionally undercooks her husband’s chicken, and a father so narcissistic he gets a face-lift at forty?
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
