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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for July 12, 1999
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feckless [adj. FEK-lis]
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Someone who is feckless is feeble or ineffective, lacking purpose and
vitality, or careless and irresponsible. Example: "Although seemingly
feckless, clumsy, and inept, Jar Jar Binks managed to save the day."
The suffix -less can mean "not having" (hopeless, careless, witless), or
it can mean "beyond the range of," (countless, numberless). The first
meaning applies to our word, but what does a feckless person not have?
Someone who is feckless is effectless, or having no effect. The original
root was the Scottish feck, a contraction of effect and the source of the
modern English efficacy. The original root was Latin efficere (to
accomplish).
Another interesting -less word is ruthless. In this case, what is lacking
is ruth, a word that means "compassion or remorse." Someone who is
ruthless does not have either of these qualities, so they are merciless
and without remorse.
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