ineffective
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ineffective
Something that has no effect. It does not work as intended or does not achieve the desired result.
Das Medikament war leider unwirksam gegen die Kopfschmerzen.
Unfortunately, the medication was ineffective against the headache.
The word is made up of the prefix 'un-' and the adjective 'wirksam' (effective). The prefix 'un-' means 'not', so 'unwirksam' (ineffective) literally means 'not effective'.
Die getroffenen Maßnahmen waren leider völlig unwirksam.
Unfortunately, the measures taken were completely ineffective.
A common construction is 'gegen etwas unwirksam sein' (to be ineffective against something). It expresses what something has no effect against.
Diese alte Salbe ist gegen den Ausschlag unwirksam.
This old ointment is ineffective against the rash.
'Unwirksam' (ineffective) is often used with verbs such as 'sich erweisen' (to prove to be) or 'sich herausstellen' (to turn out to be). This combination describes that the lack of effect only becomes apparent after some time.
Die neue Strategie hat sich als unwirksam erwiesen.
The new strategy has proven to be ineffective.
effective
'effektiv' and 'unwirksam' both describe whether a measure or action achieves a goal. The difference is that they are opposites: 'effektiv' means that something works and brings the desired result. 'unwirksam' means that something has no effect or does not have the desired effect. Learners may confuse the words because both are often used with methods, medications, rules, or plans. Pay attention to the result: if it helps, it is 'effektiv'; if it does not help, it is 'unwirksam'.
Nach zwei Wochen war das Mittel immer noch unwirksam.
After two weeks, the remedy was still ineffective.
Die neue Lernmethode ist effektiv, weil die Schüler schneller Fortschritte machen.
The new learning method is effective because the students make progress more quickly.