Ineffectual

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ineffectual \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, . . . and yet
           has been by many found ineffectual.      --Boyle.
  
     Syn: Inefficient; useless; inefficacious; vain; fruitless;
          unavailing; futile. See {Useless}, {Inefficacious}.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ineffectual
       adj 1: not sufficient to produce a desired result; "an ineffectual
              effort to block the legislation" [ant: {effectual}]
       2: not producing an intended effect; "an ineffective teacher";
          "ineffective legislation" [syn: {ineffective}, {uneffective}]
          [ant: {effective}]
       3: producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the
          therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an
          unavailing attempt" [syn: {futile}, {otiose}, {unavailing}]
       4: lacking in power or forcefulness; "an ineffectual ruler";
          "like an unable phoenix in hot ashes" [syn: {ineffective},
           {unable}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  117 Moby Thesaurus words for "ineffectual":
     abortive, acarpous, aimless, arid, barren, bootless, borne,
     celibate, childless, counterproductive, desert, desolate, drained,
     dried-up, dry, effete, emasculate, empty, etiolated, exhausted,
     failed, failing, fallow, fatuitous, fatuous, featherweight,
     feckless, forceless, fruitless, futile, gaunt, gelded,
     ill-qualified, impotent, inadequate, inane, incapable, incompetent,
     ineffective, inefficacious, inefficient, infecund, infertile,
     inoperative, invalid, invertebrate, issueless, jejune, lame,
     leached, lightweight, limited, maladjusted, manque, mean,
     meaningless, menopausal, miscarried, miscarrying, narrow, no go,
     no-account, nonfertile, nonproducing, nonproductive, nonprolific,
     not equal to, not up to, nugacious, nugatory, of no account,
     of no effect, of no force, of no use, paltry, pointless, powerless,
     purposeless, set, sine prole, small, spineless, sterile, stickit,
     stillborn, successless, sucked dry, superfluous, teemless, unable,
     unadapted, unadjusted, unauthoritative, unavailable, unavailing,
     uncultivated, unequipped, unfertile, unfit, unfitted, unfortunate,
     unfruitful, unplowed, unproductive, unprolific, unqualified,
     unsown, unsuccessful, untilled, useless, vain, virgin, waste,
     wasted, weak, without any weight, without issue