ineffectual

  • 1Ineffectual — In ef*fec tu*al (?; 135), a. Not producing the proper effect; without effect; inefficient; weak; useless; futile; unavailing; as, an ineffectual attempt; an ineffectual expedient. Pope. [1913 Webster] The peony root has been much commended …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2ineffectual — I adjective abortive, barren, effete, emasculated, feckless, feeble, figurehead, fruitless, futile, gainless, good for nothing, idle, impotent, inadequate, incompetent, indecisive, ineffective, inefficacious, inept, inoperative, insufficient,… …

    Law dictionary

  • 3ineffectual — (adj.) early 15c., from IN (Cf. in ) (1) not, opposite of + EFFECTUAL (Cf. effectual). Related: Ineffectually; ineffectuality …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4ineffectual — ineffective, inefficacious, inefficient Analogous words: see those at INEFFECTIVE Antonyms: effectual Contrasted words: *effective, efficacious, efficient: useful, profitable (see corresponding nouns at USE) …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5ineffectual — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not producing any or the desired effect. 2) lacking adequate forcefulness in a role or situation. DERIVATIVES ineffectuality noun ineffectually adverb ineffectualness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6ineffectual — [in΄e fek′cho͞o əl, in΄i fek′cho͞o əl] adj. not effectual; not producing or not able to produce the desired effect ineffectuality [in΄e fek′cho͞oal′ə tē] n. ineffectualness ineffectually adv …

    English World dictionary

  • 7ineffectual — in|ef|fec|tu|al [ ,ını fektʃuəl ] adjective 1. ) an ineffectual person does not have the ability or confidence to do something well: a gentle but ineffectual man 2. ) something that is ineffectual fails to achieve what it is intended to achieve:… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 8ineffectual — UK [ˌɪnɪˈfektʃuəl] / US adjective 1) an ineffectual person does not have the ability or confidence to do something well a gentle but ineffectual man 2) something that is ineffectual fails to achieve what it is intended to achieve a slow and… …

    English dictionary

  • 9ineffectual — [[t]ɪ̱nɪfe̱ktʃuəl[/t]] ADJ GRADED If someone or something is ineffectual, they fail to do what they are expected to do or are trying to do. The mayor had become ineffectual in the struggle to clamp down on drugs. ...the well meaning but… …

    English dictionary

  • 10ineffectual — ineffectuality, ineffectualness, n. ineffectually, adv. /in i fek chooh euhl/, adj. 1. not effectual; without satisfactory or decisive effect: an ineffectual remedy. 2. unavailing; futile: His efforts to sell the house were ineffectual. 3.… …

    Universalium