dysfunctional

[dis-fuhngk-shuh-nl]

See more synonyms for dysfunctional on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

Related formsdys·func·tion·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dysfunctional

flawed, broken, debilitated, decayed, defective, deteriorated, inhibited, maladjusted, sick, unfit, wounded, undermined

Examples from the Web for dysfunctional

Contemporary Examples of dysfunctional

These young adults have voluntarily checked out of a political system they consider corrupt and dysfunctional.
When Will We See a #Millennial Congress?
Linda Killian
December 26, 2014
This is a story that celebrates difference, as opposed to the story of a dysfunctional kid.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway
Tim Teeman
December 7, 2014
The family was close, “in a crazy kind of dysfunctional way,” he says.
Can Condon's Freak Show Win Broadway?
Tim Teeman
November 18, 2014
Their interest, as ever, is in pushing the perception that Washington is dysfunctional.
Inside the Democrats’ Godawful Midterm Election Wipeout
Michael Tomasky
November 5, 2014
The populist anger at Washington incumbents in this election is directed at the dysfunctional divisions in DC.
The Kansas Independent Who Could Control the Senate
John Avlon
September 6, 2014

Historical Examples of dysfunctional

It is this unaccomplished, uneasy metamorphosis that tore the social fabric of CEE apart, rendering it poisoned and dysfunctional.
After the Rain
Sam Vaknin
The West knew that these institutions were dysfunctional – but not to which breathtaking extent.
After the Rain
Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for dysfunctional

dysfunctional

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dysfunctional

adj.

1917, from dysfunction + -al (1). Related: Dysfunctionally.