inefficient
Americanadjective
-
not efficient; unable to effect or achieve the desired result with reasonable economy of means.
-
lacking in ability, incompetent.
adjective
-
unable to perform a task or function to the best advantage; wasteful or incompetent
-
unable to produce the desired result
Synonym Usage
See incapable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inefficient
Explanation
Inefficient things waste time, money, or other resources. Your old inefficient dishwasher uses much more water and electricity than a new model would. Shame on you. Inefficient businesses have trouble making money and growing, and an inefficient city bus system might transport just a few passengers at a time. If your car is inefficient, it gets terrible gas mileage and is expensive to drive. If something is efficient, it's productive and inexpensive. Inefficient has the opposite meaning, which is clear from the "not" prefix in-.
Vocabulary lists containing inefficient
"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: in-, im-, il-, ir-
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Lawn Boy
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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.
Fewer than four decades ago Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence but inherited inefficient factories from the Soviet Union's command economy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
A Law Commission report in 2022 concluded that these marriage laws, which date back to the 18th and 19th Centuries, were "complicated, inefficient, unfair and needlessly restrictive".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
An inefficient youth pipeline, competition from other sports and an inability to develop a superstar are some of the reasons why the U.S. keeps losing in the World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
It is inefficient in almost every measurable way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Although swidden does permit the forest to regrow, it is wildly inefficient and environmentally unsound.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
