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
- dysfunctionally adverb
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.
One reason for the confusion is that healthy macrophages already show some of the same molecular features seen in senescent cells, making it difficult to distinguish between normal and dysfunctional states.
From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026
The messy shenanigans marked a fitting conclusion to the series that premiered in 2000 about a comically dysfunctional family and which became one of Fox’s signature hits during its seven-season run.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
He justified this view by citing a dysfunctional banking system, a highly unstable currency, the absence of the rule of law guaranteeing private property, the failure of the centrally planned economy, and "completely dilapidated" infrastructure.
From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026
It shattered the Windsor mantra of “never complain, never explain,” stripping back the mystique of monarchy, revealing a somewhat dysfunctional family trapped inside an institution it struggles to manage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
The painting of the dysfunctional family in front of me begins to move—pointing and laughing at me.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
