in ‧ ef ‧ fec ‧ tive /ˌɪnəˈfektɪv◂, ˌɪnɪˈfektɪv◂/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ effect , ↑ effectiveness ≠ ↑ ineffectiveness ; adjective : ↑ effective ≠ ↑ ineffective , ↑ effectual ≠ ↑ ineffectual ; verb : ↑ effect ; adverb : ↑ effectively ≠ ↑ ineffectively ]
something that is ineffective does not achieve what it is intended to achieve OPP effective
ineffective in doing something
The chemical was almost totally ineffective in killing the weeds.
ineffective against
Various drugs have proved ineffective against the virus.
an ineffective marketing campaign
—ineffectively adverb
—ineffectiveness noun [uncountable] :
the ineffectiveness of most diets
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In everyday English, people usually say that something does not work rather than saying that it is ineffective :
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These drugs don’t work against bird flu.