Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

feckless

 
Dictionary: feck·less   (fĕk'lĭs) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.
  2. Careless and irresponsible.

[Scots feck, effect (alteration of EFFECT) + -LESS.]

fecklessly feck'less·ly adv.
fecklessness feck'less·ness n.

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Word Overheard: feckless
Top

The word feckless (purposeless, irresponsible) should not be confused with reckless (careless, headstrong), despite their similar sound and overlapping meaning. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman presumably chose his word carefully:

"The story of the latest terror plot makes the administration's fecklessness and cynicism on terrorism clearer than ever."

Link: Hoping for Fear - New York Times

Posted August 15, 2006.

Antonyms: feckless
Top

adj

Definition: without purpose
Antonyms: competent, effective, effectual, efficient, purposeful, responsible, strong, useful


Obscure Words: feckless
Top


1) weak, ineffective
2) worthless, irresponsible
Word Tutor: feckless
Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Weak or ineffective. Also: careless or irresponsible.

pronunciation The attempt to secure the fortress was feckless at best.

Translations: Feckless
Top

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - energiløs, slap, hjælpeløs, uduelig

Nederlands (Dutch)
zwak, waardeloos

Français (French)
adj. - incapable, étourdi, irréfléchi

Deutsch (German)
adj. - nutzlos, wertlos, schwach, leichtsinnig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - αδύναμος, ασθενικός, ξεψυχισμένος, ψόφιος, άψυχος, πλαδαρός

Italiano (Italian)
inetto, gracile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - fraco

Русский (Russian)
безответственный, бесполезный, ленивый

Español (Spanish)
adj. - incapaz, incompetente

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - hjälplös

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
没精神的, 无用的, 软弱的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 沒精神的, 無用的, 軟弱的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 효과 없는, 무력한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 弱々しい, 軽率な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) ضعيف , عاجز , عقيم , غير بارع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮חלש, בלתי-אחראי‬


 
 
Learn More
Murphy's law (Idiom)
Gwyddno Garanhir
Laurence Bloomfield in Ireland

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Word Overheard. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more