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dysfunctional

dysfunctional

96 6.1
Not working properly or doing its job
  • adjective
  • /dɪsˈfʌŋkʃənl/
translation icon : disfuncional
  • One is a child who is vicious and uncaring, the product of a dysfunctional family.
  • a dysfunctional family
  • a dysfunctional relationship
  • a dysfunctional system

But over and over again, we've seen that dysfunctional practices can be turned around.

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Examples

  • Many people come from dysfunctional backgrounds that affect their relationships later in life.

  • And I like to deal with dysfunctional families and all that.

  • What are some of the dysfunctional things that all of us do?

  • That we are not going to fight with each other in a dysfunctional way, OK.

  • Right now that seems to be dysfunctional because everything is changing so quickly.

  • And it's really just a dysfunctional family.

  • In doing so, it has been able to achieve progress even in countries with dysfunctional governments.

    Academic text (2012)
  • What's the best way to leave a dysfunctional community?

  • A dysfunctional bureaucracy is likely to produce a dysfunctional nuclear weapons project.

    Academic text (2012)
  • But over and over again, we've seen that dysfunctional practices can be turned around.

Synonyms

faulty
vsdysfunctional
36 3.5

Not correct because it has mistakes, for example in an argument or plan

focuses on the state of not operating normally rather than specific defects
inoperative
vsdysfunctional
9 5.5

Not working or not having any effect

covers failure of operation rather than only lacking legal effect
inoperable
vsdysfunctional
7 7.1

You cannot use it because it does not work

may still work but not in the right or normal way
nonfunctional
vsdysfunctional
3 4.4

Not working or broken

can fail partially or work poorly rather than having no function
malfunctioning
vsdysfunctional
4.0

Not working properly so a machine or system cannot work as it should

is used more generally for things that fail to work normally
dicky
vsdysfunctional
  • UK
9.3

A part that does not work properly or is weak, often for body parts and machines

is the neutral word for lack of normal operation
unworking
vsdysfunctional
5.9

Broken or not in use

refers to lack of normal operation rather than being unused

Antonyms

81 3.2

Working correctly so it can be used

How Functional

functional
81 3.2
impaired
49 4.4
dysfunctional
96 6.1
broken
31 1.0
inoperable
7 7.1

Surface Forms

dysfunctional positive

Morphology

dysfunctional = functional (transparent) = dys + function + al

The adjective is formed by adding the productive negative prefix 'dys-' to 'functional', yielding the clear meaning 'not functional'.

Etymology

Dysfunctional combines the Greek prefix dys- meaning 'bad' or 'difficult' with function, which means 'work' or 'what something does', so dysfunctional literally means 'not working properly' and is used for bodies, systems, or relationships that do not do their job.