| 单词 | thesaurus/articles/not-producing-a-desired-result |
| 释义 | Thesaurus article:not producing a desired resultnot producing a desired resultThese words all describe things such as events or processes that do not have the result you had hoped for. One common word for this isunsuccessful.Unsuccessfulis often used of efforts or attempts to achieve something. Our attempts to change the law were unsuccessful. He went back to running his business after his unsuccessful bid to become mayor. Another common word for this isfailed.Failedis used in more contexts thanunsuccessful, such as when describing relationships. The company went bankrupt pouring money into yet another failed product. This was his third failed marriage. The rescue was successful after two failed attempts. One opposite of bothunsuccessfulandfailedissuccessful.Successfulis used to describe events or processes that produce a desired result, but it is not used to describe relationships with this meaning. She ran a very successful campaign. The experiment was successful. For more opposites ofunsuccessful, see the article atsuccessful. If something you do has not given you the good financial results you expect, you can say that it isbad. This meaning ofbadis almost always used to describe business success. Sales have been really bad this quarter. It's been a bad year for the California wine industry, with profits down by 80%. If something such as an effort or an action doesn't produce the positive result you are hoping for, you can say it isfruitlessor, more formally,unfruitful.Fruitlessis much more common thanunfruitful. Whenunfruitfulis used in general writing, it is usually used to describe conversations or negotiations. All our pleas that she remain in university were fruitless - she left anyway. She undertook a fruitless search for the missing files. The negotiations were unfruitful. After years of unfruitful discussions, they finally reached an agreement. You can also use the wordunproductiveto describe things that do not produce a positive result.Unproductiveis more common thanfruitlessorunfruitful. We've had a terribly unproductive meeting. Worrying about this is entirely unproductive. If something like a medicine or a method of doing something does not produce the positive results you hope it will, you can say it isineffective.Ineffectiveis used especially when something that should work does not. The trial shows that this drug is an ineffective treatment for cancer. The town plan to fund education is wasteful and ineffective. In business and legal writing, you can call a process that does not give you good resultsnon-effective.Non-effectiveis not common outside of more technical writing. This approach to increasing revenue was non-effective. Unviableandnon-viableare both used to describe things that will not produce the results you want because they do not work the way they should. Each word has a specialized meaning in medical writing, but they are sometimes used in business writing as well. The party's plan to drastically cut taxes was economically unviable. The business was deemed commercially non-viable. In formal writing, something that does not succeed or produce a good result can be calledunavailing.Unavailingis also used in literature. His attentions to the heiress were courteous but unavailing. Because deterrence is unavailing, a lengthy prison sentence is mandated. Vainis sometimes used when something to try to do or want to do fails because it was never likely to succeed. It is used more often before a noun, but in UK English, it also is used after verbs likeproveandbe. He campaigned night and day in a vain attempt to win the party nomination. Their attempt to regulate a corrupt industry proved vain. If something isunpromising, it does not seem like it will produce a good result from very early on. Millions was spent on developing the treatment, but early tests show it is unpromising. Her uninspiring talk was an unpromising start to the conference. Something that is extremely unsuccessful can be calleddisastrous.Disastrousis used when the results are worse than you could have expected. He made a disastrous foray into politics. His first shot on goal was disastrous, resulting in a turnover. You can also describe something that does not achieve the results you want in a way that is very disappointing aspathetic.Patheticis used to emphasize that you are disappointed that something was unsuccessful, and it is a disapproving word. His pathetic attempt at a joke failed spectacularly. The campaign offered a few pathetic excuses for the politician's bad behaviour. What a pathetic throw! If something does not produce the desired result and it seems like it will never be successful again, you can informally say it isdead in the water. This phrase is especially used when something is no longer supported, and for that reason, it does not continue.Dead in the wateris more common in US English than it is in UK English. They pulled funding, so the project is dead in the water. Without the votes in the Commons, the legislation will be dead in the water. If something you have planned out does not produce the results you want and fails, you can say in informal language that itwent adrift.Go adriftis more common in UK English than it is in US English. After the kids left home, their marriage went adrift. Earlier stages of the programme went well, but later stages went adrift. For more words about things that do not provide good results, see the article atfailure. Related articlesnot achieving wealth, popularity, or success |
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