ineffectual
Americanadjective
-
having no effect or an inadequate effect
-
lacking in power or forcefulness; impotent
an ineffectual ruler
Synonym Usage
See useless.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ineffectual
A late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at in- 3, effectual
Explanation
If you are a coach with a losing team that doesn't listen to you, don't be surprised if you are called ineffectual. It means too weak to produce the desired effect. Ineffectual is similar to ineffective, but while ineffective implies that something simply doesn't work, ineffectual carries with it the idea of weakness too. An old computer might be ineffective for creating state-of-the-art digital presentations; a boss who looks the other way while her employees slack off all day, on the other hand, is ineffectual.
Vocabulary lists containing ineffectual
The Old Man and the Sea
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"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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The Haunting of Hill House
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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.
Whereas previous interventions by the Japanese were short-lived and ineffectual, though, this rally has developed momentum.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
The cops of wherever this is are ineffectual.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
He said the claimants' complaints about the "harmful effects" were "shunned and ignored" before the nurses were "penalised and buried" in an "oppressive and ineffectual investigation process" carried out by the trust.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
Its efforts to strike at Israel proved generally ineffectual.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
They took turns getting on top of each other, trading ineffectual blows with inharmonious sound effects that made it seem as though they were fighting to the death.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
