adj ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Not performing its proper or intended function.
2. 2
   Functioning incorrectly or abnormally; especially, designating of a business, family or social group with harmful, aberrant, strange or abnormal behavior.

   "Live dysfunctional, likely die dysfunctional; live eufunctional, likely die eufunctional."

Adjective

1. 1
   (of a trait or condition) failing to serve an adjustive purpose wordnet
2. 2
   impaired in function; especially of a bodily system or organ wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

impairedincompetentmaladaptivenonadaptive

Antonyms

All antonyms

cooperativeeufunctionalfunctionaloperational

Example

More examples

"It took Tom years to work through all the issues caused by his growing up in a dysfunctional family."

Etymology

From dysfunction + -al.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.