inefficient

[in-i-fish-uhnt]

adjective

1. not efficient; unable to effect or achieve the desired result with reasonable economy of means.

2. lacking in ability, incompetent.

inefficient

/ ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. unable to perform a task or function to the best advantage; wasteful or incompetent

2. unable to produce the desired result

Other Word Forms

• inefficiently adverb
• inefficiency noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inefficient¹

First recorded in 1740–50; in- ³ + efficient

Synonym Study

See incapable.

Example Sentences

Through the years, he has been dogged by high walk rates and inefficient outings and a tendency to simply waste too many pitches.

From Los Angeles Times

As one SSA official put it, Bisignano is “doing all the same fundamentally inefficient things, more efficiently.”

From Salon

It’s inefficient and exhausting to pour all your love and resources into one person, with the hopes they might someday give you some of it back.

From Los Angeles Times

First, he wants to save money by closing underused or inefficient buildings on campuses — while leaving the schools open.

From Los Angeles Times

He has characterised the organisation as inefficient and suggested that state-level officials were better placed to respond to natural disasters.

From BBC

Related Words

• disorganized 
• faulty 
• feeble 
• incompetent 
• ineffective 
• ineffectual 
• inept 
• sloppy 
• weak