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inefficient Definition

in·ef·fi·cient (in′e fis̸h′ənt, -i fis̸h′-)

adjective

not efficient; specif.,

  1. not producing the desired effect with a minimum use of energy, time, etc.; ineffective
  2. lacking the necessary ability; unskilled; incapable

inefficient Related Forms
in′·ef·fi′·ciency noun in′·ef·fi′·ciently adverb
inefficient Synonyms

inefficient

modif.

  1. Wasteful

    extravagant, improvident, slack, disorganized; see careless 1, wasteful.

  2. Lacking competence

    incapable, unproductive, unfit; see incompetent, ineffective.

inefficient Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: EXECUTE is limited by two factors: The need to compile the string at runtime makes EXECUTE inefficient in terms of speed.

Modifies a noun

  • bureaucracy: The four authors claim the IMF is not sufficiently transparent and is handicapped by a muddled and inefficient bureaucracy.
  • combustion: It is produced by incomplete, or inefficient, combustion of fuel including ' cold ' or badly tuned engines.
  • boiler: The boiler will replace two old, inefficient boilers which are unable to generate sufficient steam.
  • monopoly: Inefficient monopolies pass on their price increases to the consumer.
  • appliance: Catch the Breeze: Your tumble drier is the most inefficient appliance in your home.
  • bulb: Bright idea - A program to phase out inefficient light bulbs could save a whole reactor's worth of electricity by 2020.

Modifying Another Word

  • grossly: By contrast, the labor power of millions of German men and women was squandered in grossly inefficient peasant farming.
  • hopelessly: People are going hungry while ever increasing numbers of animals are fed huge amounts of food in a hopelessly inefficient system.
  • economically: When racism becomes economically inefficient then any perceived electoral gain will quickly be lost.
  • notoriously: Wind farms are notoriously inefficient, unsightly monstrosities whose damage outweighs their utility.
  • horribly: Incandescent lights are horribly inefficient ( especially the screw-in " grow bulb " type ) and really not an acceptable option for plant growth.
  • inherently: However, there is no theoretical reason to believe that PLS is inherently inefficient.

Infinitive complement

  • have: Is it not inefficient to have everyone learning the same thing?

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: The Boer shells proved very inefficient which was a lucky thing for us.
  • become: The previous paths do not become useless; they just become inefficient.
  • consider: The effort needed to administer such a system was considered inefficient.
  • remain: Rechargeable electric cells offer a clue, but remain ludicrously inefficient in power to weight ratios when compared to the internal combustion engine.

Preposition: in

  • term: Many UK homes are very inefficient in terms of their energy use.
  • sense: Grammar schools are not inefficient in that sense and have not failed in the same way as the selective system.