efficient

[ih-fish-uhnt] / ɪˈfɪʃ ənt /

ADJECTIVE

capable, effective

Synonyms

STRONGEST

able active adept adequate capable competent decisive dynamic economical effective energetic potent powerful productive profitable skilled skillful tough useful valuable

WEAK

accomplished adapted apt businesslike clever conducive deft economic effectual efficacious equal to experienced expert familiar with fitted good at good for handy masterly organized practiced proficient qualified ready saving shrewd systematic talented virtuous well-organized

Antonyms

STRONGEST

delicate fragile idle impotent inactive inadequate incapable incompetent ineffective inept lazy sluggish unable unskilled unskillful useless weak worthless

WEAK

helpless inefficient powerless

Usage

What are other ways to say efficient? The adjective efficient, when applied to a person or a thing, implies the skillful use of energy or industry to accomplish desired results with little waste of effort: efficient methods; an efficient manager. Effective is applied to a person or a thing that has the power to, or which actually does, produce an effect: an effective boss, remedy, speech. Effectual is used especially of that which produces the effect desired or intended, or a decisive result: An effectual bombardment silenced the enemy. Efficacious suggests the capability of achieving a certain end: an efficacious plan, medicine.

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.

We burn the paper in a screened enclosure and it is fairly efficient, but it’s impossible to get all the food particles off wrapping paper, so when it’s burned the food particles burn with it.

From Literature

The discovery suggests a new strategy for designing more efficient light harvesting technologies.

From Science Daily

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK said while the work being done was vital, public inquiries generally needed to become more efficient and less adversarial.

From BBC

Cars with manually shifted transmissions are less efficient, with higher consumption and transient emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal

“What we’ve been working on is making this operation safer, more efficient, by the book,” Homan said at a Jan. 29 press conference.

From Salon

efficient

Usage

Example Sentences

Related Words