feckless

USAGE SUMMARY

"feckless" is a real word in standard English.
It is used to describe someone who is irresponsible, careless, or ineffective. Example sentence: The company's feckless leadership had caused several production delays.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In a world where every week new TV shows and articles seek to convince us all that people on welfare are feckless, lazy and can't budget, we need to put forward the alternative reality.

The Guardian

A crisis that started with an EU summit fiasco three months ago may reach its climax on Thursday with an EU summit failure as Putin's short-term hard power collides with European longer-term soft power and leaves the EU looking weak and feckless.

The Guardian

The Tory party commitment to this referendum is feckless and reckless.

The Guardian

Looking at these figures, some might say this is the fault of the feckless, of those who wanted newly built flats, German kitchens and exotic holidays during the boom but couldn't afford them.

The Guardian - Opinion

And through this local's view of feckless and hostile black inhabitants, perhaps we can sense something of how the world might have looked to those five young men as they climbed into their Hilux that freezing July night.

The Guardian

Even his critics know that in today's world the cost of borrowing punishes the feckless.

The Guardian - Opinion

As it propagates perverse caricatures of communities brimming with the feckless and the idle, the actual situation facing people around the UK is airbrushed out of the picture.

The Guardian - Opinion

A year earlier, the show was forced to apologise to the Mexican ambassador to the UK, who complained about a special in which presenter Richard Hammond described Mexicans as "lazy, feckless and flatulent" with his co-presenters Clarkson and James May branding their food "refried sick".

The Guardian

In his Today show appearance, Cruz rejected the notion that he was an intransigent extremist whose unbending positions in the Senate had made him an enemy of compromise – the most glaring evidence of which, his critics say, being the partial shutdown of the federal government he helped precipitate in October 2013 with a profoundly feckless attempt to block the president's healthcare law.

The Guardian

How calling him feckless (which at the time was written with affectionate exasperation) would not help my relationship with him.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The German backlash was severe, with the media denouncing Greek spongers and feckless southern Europeans while attacking Merkel for betraying the principles supposed to underpin the euro.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "feckless" in overly formal contexts where a more neutral term might be more appropriate, as it carries a slightly negative connotation.

Common error

Avoid using "feckless" when a neutral term like "ineffective" or "unproductive" would be more suitable. The term carries a negative judgment and should be reserved for situations where that judgment is warranted.

Linguistic Context

The word "feckless" functions primarily as an adjective. Ludwig AI confirms this usage, highlighting examples where it modifies nouns to describe a lack of purpose, skill, or responsibility.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Formal & Business

27%

Science

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "feckless" is a commonly used adjective to describe someone lacking responsibility, competence, or purpose. Ludwig AI indicates that its use is grammatically correct, predominantly appearing in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts. While effective in conveying disapproval, consider the specific context to avoid unintended negative connotations. Alternatives like "irresponsible" or "ineffectual" may be more appropriate in certain formal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

irresponsible

Directly implies a lack of responsibility.

ineffectual

Focuses on the lack of ability to produce desired results.

aimless

Highlights the lack of direction or purpose.

careless

Emphasizes the lack of attention and caution.

reckless

Suggests a disregard for consequences.

negligent

Indicates a failure to take proper care in doing something.

incompetent

Highlights a lack of necessary skills or knowledge.

shiftless

Implies laziness and a lack of ambition.

good-for-nothing

A more informal and derogatory way to describe someone useless.

remiss

Suggests a culpable lack of attention to something.

FAQs

How can I use "feckless" in a sentence?

You can use "feckless" to describe someone or something lacking in responsibility or effectiveness. For example, "The company's "feckless" management led to its downfall."

What words can I use instead of "feckless"?

Alternatives to "feckless" include "irresponsible", "ineffectual", or "aimless", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to use "feckless" in formal writing?

While "feckless" is a valid word, it carries a slightly negative connotation. In some formal contexts, it may be more appropriate to use a more neutral term like "ineffective" or "negligent".

What's the difference between "feckless" and "reckless"?

"Feckless" implies a lack of responsibility or competence, while "reckless" suggests a disregard for danger or consequences. Someone who is "feckless" might be careless and ineffective, while someone who is "reckless" is actively taking risks.