feckless

English

WOTD – 15 April 2008

Etymology

From Scots feckless, variant of Scots fectless (“ineffectual”) (an aphetic variant of effectless), equivalent to effect +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛkləs/, /ˈfɛklɪs/

• Audio:

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• Audio (AU):

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Adjective

feckless (comparative more feckless, superlative most feckless)

1. Lacking purpose.
   • 2005, Canberra Times, September 10

     "It is the beauty of great games when they are played at their highest level and the extraordinary thing now is that we do not have to trawl back through all the years of your inexorable progress from feckless beach boy to master sportsman."

2. Without skill, ineffective, incompetent.
3. (UK) Lacking the courage to act in any meaningful way.
4. (British, archaic) Lacking vitality.

Synonyms

• (weak, ineffective): futile, hopeless, ineffective, ineffectual, feeble, meaningless, useless
• (worthless, irresponsible): unpurposed, worthless, aimless, careless, reckless, irresponsible

Antonyms

• (weak, ineffective): effective, efficient, meaningful, useful
• (worthless, irresponsible): purposeful, careful, responsible

Related terms

• fecklessly
• fecklessness

Translations

lacking purpose

• Bulgarian: безцелен (bg) (bezcelen), напразен (bg) (naprazen)
• Danish: hjælpeløs (da), initiativløs
• Dutch: doelloos (nl)
• French: irréfléchi (fr), irresponsable (fr)
• German: nichtsnutzig (de), nutzlos (de), ziellos (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: άσκοπος (el) (áskopos)
• Norwegian: hjelpeløs, initiativløs
• Romanian: ineficient (ro), inutil (ro)
• Russian: бесце́льный (ru) (bescélʹnyj), напра́сный (ru) (naprásnyj)
• Swedish: hjälplös (sv), rådlös (sv)

without skill, ineffective

• Bulgarian: вял (bg) (vjal), безполезен (bg) (bezpolezen)
• Danish: hjælpeløs (da), uduelig
• Dutch: inefficiënt (nl), onhandig (nl)
• French: incapable (fr)
• German: unfähig (de), untauglich (de), wirkungslos (de), ineffizient (de), ineffektiv (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: ανίκανος (el) (aníkanos)
• Ido: nekapabla (io)
• Norwegian: hjelpeløs, udugelig, ubehjelpelig
• Russian: бесполе́зный (ru) (bespoléznyj), вя́лый (ru) (vjályj)
• Swedish: oduglig (sv)

lacking vitality

• Bulgarian: вял (bg) (vjal), слаб (bg) (slab)
• Dutch: futloos (nl)
• German: kraftlos (de), schlapp (de), lahmarschig (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: ασθενής (el) (asthenís)
• Russian: вя́лый (ru) (vjályj), сла́бый (ru) (slábyj)

lacking the courage to act in any meaningful way

• Bulgarian: безпомощен (bg) (bezpomošten)
• Dutch: lamlendig (nl)
• German: schwach (de), mutlos (de), schlaff (de), matt (de), unmotiviert (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: άβουλος (el) (ávoulos)
• Russian: беспо́мощный (ru) (bespómoščnyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} tilgangslaus (is)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Further reading

• “feckless”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “feckless”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.