inefficient
/ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌi-nə-ˈfi-shənt/ (ame, mw)
inefficient — adjective
- inefficientpositive
- more inefficientcomparative
- most inefficientsuperlative
1. not capable of doing a job well because of poor methods, lack of organisation, o
not capable of doing a job well because of poor methods, lack of organisation, or limited ability — a person, a way of working, or a system can be described this way.
Mert was fired because his inefficient methods doubled the team's workload every week.
collocation: inefficient methods / inefficient system
Yan found that the inefficient filing system made simple tasks take twice as long.
Complaints about the city's inefficient bus routes led to a complete redesign of the network.
Eleni was frustrated by the inefficient way the office handled customer complaints.
- ineffective
focuses on not achieving the desired result at all, whereas inefficient emphasises wasted effort even if the result is eventually reached
- incompetent
stronger and more personal — implies a fundamental lack of skill rather than poor method choices
- unproductive
highlights low output rather than the quality of the method used
- efficient
achieves results with minimal wasted time or effort
- productive
produces good results in relation to the effort invested
文法句型
inefficient + noun
inefficient at/in + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, method, or organisation, not a machine or technical device. For equipment that wastes energy or fuel, see sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. using more time, money, fuel, or other resources than necessary to achieve a res
using more time, money, fuel, or other resources than necessary to achieve a result — describes equipment, processes, or systems that consume too much of something valuable.
Nikhil replaced his old inefficient water heater with a new solar-powered model.
inefficient [appliance] — wastes energy
The factory's inefficient use of raw materials was costing them thousands every month.
Talia turned off the inefficient air conditioner to save electricity during the heatwave.
An inefficient irrigation system was wasting hundreds of litres of water each day.
The government fined companies that kept running inefficient old boilers past their useful life.
- wasteful
broader — can describe any unnecessary consumption, while inefficient often carries a sense of poor design or mechanics
- uneconomical
specifically about money or cost — an inefficient engine may also be uneconomical to run
- wasteful of
followed directly by the resource being wasted, e.g. wasteful of energy
- efficient
achieves a result with minimal waste of resources
- energy-efficient
a specific, common compound antonym for appliances and buildings
文法句型
inefficient + noun
inefficient in its use of + noun
用法筆記
Subject is typically a device, piece of equipment, or industrial process. The criticism is about how much of a resource is consumed, not about the skill or ability of a person.