highly inefficient

USAGE SUMMARY

"highly inefficient" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a system, a process, or a situation in which an unacceptable amount of time, money, or energy is being wasted. For example, "The current filing system is highly inefficient and needs to be updated."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Reference

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I believe it's highly inefficient.

University of California, Berkeley

Considered highly inefficient and declasse.

The New York Times - Tech

But this strategy is highly inefficient.

Harvard Business Review

Tebow remains a highly inefficient — and deeply enthralling — quarterback.

The New York Times - Sports

Salesmen travelled around the country, selling books from publishers' lists, but this system was highly inefficient.

The New Yorker

"This is a highly inefficient way to pay doctors," Dr. Bach said.

The New York Times

But China remains highly inefficient in energy use by global standards.

The New York Times

The ubiquitous but highly inefficient 60-watt light bulb badly needs a makeover.

The New York Times - Tech

In terms of resource productivity, chemical industrial agriculture is highly inefficient.

The Guardian

Updating individual pixels in the VSB is not only programatically messy, but also highly inefficient.

Cornell University

Previous approaches to this problem were all highly inefficient and often extremely complicated.

Columbia University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "highly inefficient" to critique existing systems or methods, suggesting a need for improvement or replacement with more effective alternatives.

Common error

Avoid pairing "highly inefficient" with overly general nouns like "things" or "stuff". Instead, specify the process, system, or method that is inefficient to maintain clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly inefficient" functions as an adjectival modifier, specifically intensifying the degree of inefficiency. It serves to emphasize that something is not just inefficient, but significantly so. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a correct and usable construction.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Science

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly inefficient" is a grammatically sound and widely used phrase to describe something characterized by a significant waste of resources. As noted by Ludwig AI, this phrase is appropriate for formal and professional contexts, as seen in its frequent appearance in news, academic, and business sources. To enhance clarity, it's best to specify which resources are being wasted. Consider replacing it with alternatives like "grossly ineffective" or "extremely wasteful" to fine-tune your message and add more specificity. Remember to avoid vague nouns to ensure the inefficiency is clearly defined.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

grossly ineffective

Emphasizes the lack of desired outcome and a significant degree of ineffectiveness.

extremely wasteful

Highlights the excessive consumption or loss of resources.

very uneconomical

Focuses on the financial aspect, indicating a poor return on investment.

remarkably unproductive

Highlights the low output or results generated.

prohibitively expensive

Stresses the high cost as a barrier to practical application or implementation.

not fit for purpose

Indicates that something is unsuitable or inadequate for its intended use.

demonstrably flawed

Highlights the existence of major problems and defects.

patently deficient

Points to a clear and obvious lack of necessary qualities or elements.

wildly disorganized

Emphasizes the lack of order or structure, leading to inefficiency.

unacceptably slow

Focuses on the time taken to complete a task, highlighting its inefficiency.

FAQs

How can I use "highly inefficient" in a sentence?

You can use "highly inefficient" to describe a process or system that wastes resources. For instance, "The current workflow is "highly inefficient", leading to significant time wastage".

What are some alternatives to saying "highly inefficient"?

Alternatives include "grossly ineffective", "extremely wasteful", or "very uneconomical", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to use "highly inefficient" in formal writing?

Yes, "highly inefficient" is appropriate for formal writing. It clearly communicates a significant lack of efficiency and is widely understood in academic, business, and professional settings.

What makes a system "highly inefficient"?

A system is considered "highly inefficient" when it consumes excessive resources (time, energy, money) relative to its output or desired results. This can be due to various factors, like poor design, outdated technology, or lack of optimization.