inefficiency

/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɪ.ʃən.si/
nounIntermediate
general

The state or quality of not being efficient; lack of productivity or effectiveness in achieving goals.

The government's inefficiency in handling the crisis worsened the situation.

The government's poor management of the crisis made things worse.

Her inefficiency at work often frustrated her colleagues.

Her lack of productivity at work often annoyed her coworkers.

💡

Inefficiency can refer to wasted resources, time, or effort due to poor planning, organization, or execution.

Collocations

operational inefficiencyinefficiency in daily operationscost inefficiencywaste of money due to poor managementsystemic inefficiencywidespread inefficiency in a system

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

inefficientlyadverb
in a way that is not efficient
inefficiently runphrase
managed in a way that wastes resources

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

Inefficiency is often used to describe organizations, systems, or individuals who fail to achieve goals effectively.

Gold Rule

Avoid Misuse

Do not use 'inefficiency' to describe a person's character; it refers to performance, not personality.

📖Word Origin

From 'in-' (not) + 'efficiency' (ability to produce desired results with minimal wasted effort).

📝Usage Notes

Inefficiency is often used in business, management, and economics to describe poor performance or waste of resources.

Word Breakdown

in-
not
prefix
+
efficient
able to produce desired results with minimal waste
root
+
-cy
state or quality of
suffix
English Dictionary