synonyms for inefficient
- disorganized
- faulty
- feeble
- incompetent
- ineffective
- ineffectual
- inept
- sloppy
- weak
- can't hack it
- careless
- extravagant
- half-baked
- improficient
- improvident
- incapable
- inefficacious
- inexpert
- not cut out for
- prodigal
- shooting blanks
- slack
- slipshod
- slovenly
- unfit
- unprepared
- unqualified
- unskilled
- unskillful
- untrained
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is another word for inefficient?
What is another word for inefficient?
Inefficient is a way of saying that something (or someone) works in a way that wastes effort or energy—in other words, that it’s not efficient. This isn’t always easy to boil down to one word.
A process that’s considered inefficient could be described as wasteful, meaning that it could get the same (or an even better) result with less effort or resources.
Processes that are efficient are sometimes described as economical—meaning they maximize results with minimum resources or effort. In this way, something that’s inefficient could be described as uneconomical.
You could indicate that a process is inefficient by saying that it involves too many steps. You could imply that a machine is inefficient by saying that it doesn’t run as smoothly as it should. Old appliances are called inefficient when they use way more energy to perform the same functions as more efficient ones.
You could imply that a person is inefficient in the way they’re completing a task or doing an activity by saying that they’re doing unnecessary work or exerting more effort than they need to.
Sometimes, instead of saying that something is inefficient, you could say that it suffers from inefficiency.
What is an example of something that’s inefficient?
What is an example of something that’s inefficient?
How do you use inefficient in a sentence?
How do you use inefficient in a sentence?
antonyms for inefficient
TRY USING inefficient
See how your sentence looks with different synonyms.
How to use inefficient in a sentence
WORDS RELATED TO INEFFICIENT
- aged
- ailing
- chicken
- debilitated
- decrepit
- delicate
- doddering
- dopey
- effete
- emasculated
- enervated
- enfeebled
- epicene
- etiolated
- exhausted
- failing
- faint
- flabby
- flat
- fragile
- frail
- gentle
- helpless
- impotent
- inadequate
- incompetent
- indecisive
- ineffectual
- inefficient
- infirm
- insubstantial
- insufficient
- lame
- languid
- low
- out of gas
- paltry
- poor
- powerless
- puny
- sapless
- sickly
- slight
- strengthless
- tame
- thin
- unconvincing
- vitiated
- weak
- weakened
- weakly
- wimpy
- woozy
- zero
- abandoned
- basket-case
- debilitated
- defenseless
- dependent
- destitute
- disabled
- exposed
- feeble
- forlorn
- forsaken
- friendless
- impotent
- inefficient
- inexpert
- infirm
- invalid
- over a barrel
- paralyzed
- pinned
- powerless
- prostrate
- shiftless
- tapped
- tapped out
- unable
- unfit
- unprotected
- up creek without paddle
- weak
- with hands tied
- amateur
- amateurish
- awkward
- bungling
- bush-league
- clumsy
- disqualified
- floundering
- helpless
- inadequate
- incapable
- ineffectual
- inefficient
- ineligible
- inept
- inexperienced
- inexpert
- insufficient
- maladroit
- not cut out for
- not equal to
- not have it
- out to lunch
- raw
- unadapted
- unequipped
- unfit
- unfitted
- unhandy
- uninitiated
- unproficient
- unqualified
- unskilled
- untrained
- useless
- abortive
- anticlimactic
- barren
- bootless
- defeasible
- emasculate
- epicene
- feckless
- feeble
- forceless
- fruitless
- futile
- idle
- impotent
- inadequate
- incompetent
- indecisive
- ineffectual
- inefficacious
- inefficient
- inept
- inferior
- innocuous
- inoperative
- lame
- limited
- neutralized
- no-go
- not effective
- nugatory
- null
- paltry
- powerless
- slack-spined
- spineless
- unable
- unavailable
- unavailing
- unfruitful
- unproductive
- unprofitable
- unsuccessful
- vain
- void
- withered
- worthless
- abortive
- anticlimactic
- barren
- bootless
- defeasible
- feckless
- feeble
- forceless
- fruitless
- futile
- idle
- impotent
- inadequate
- incompetent
- indecisive
- inefficacious
- inefficient
- inept
- inferior
- innocuous
- inoperative
- invertebrate
- lame
- limited
- neutralized
- nugatory
- null
- null and void
- paltry
- powerless
- spineless
- unable
- unavailing
- unfruitful
- unproductive
- unprofitable
- unsuccessful
- vain
- void
- withered
- worthless