# antonym of "OPTIMAL" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 4, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072 "2003-03-04T19:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/1 "2003-03-04T19:47:34Z")
I haven’t been able to get a good answer yet, that’s why I come to the true minds of the web - the sdmb. What’s the opposite of “optimal”, when used in the context of “most efficient”? In other words, what is a word for “least efficient” that is the contrary of optimal? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/2 "2003-03-04T19:54:21Z")
I propose _pessimal_. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/3 "2003-03-04T19:59:22Z")
FUBAR? ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/4 "2003-03-04T20:07:56Z")
Microsoft? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/5 "2003-03-04T20:29:49Z")
Sub-optimal is the actual antonym for optimal. Optimal meaning “most efficient”, sub-optimal meaning “not most efficient.” Now “least efficient” is something completely different. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/6 "2003-03-04T20:41:31Z")
Pessimal is mentioned in [FOLDOC](http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html) and the [Jargon File](http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/index.html) as the [logical antonym for optimal](http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?pessimal), with a meaning of ‘least optimal’. I admit that **SmackFu** has a point as well: the antonym could mean ‘not optimal’ too. Googling mostly revealed variant definitions that looked like they’d been based on the Jargon File definition. Some words have more than one antonym, I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/7 "2003-03-04T21:10:48Z")
worst? least efficient? wastefullest? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/8 "2003-03-04T21:13:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*I propose _pessimal_. \*\* You win, IMHO. [_Pessimal_](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pessimal) is a real word. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/9 "2003-03-04T21:20:13Z")
abismal? ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/10 "2003-03-04T21:22:50Z")
[Pessimal](http://jargon.watson-net.com/jargon.asp?w=pessimal) is what [The Jargon File](http://jargon.watson-net.com/section.asp) gives, so that’s that. At least as far as J. Random Hacker is concerned. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/11 "2003-03-04T22:09:58Z")
“Pessimal” is the answer that I’ve heard already, but it’s not the correct context I’m asking for. If I were to say “The system is running at optimal efficiency”, I don’t think that replacing optimal with pessimal would make sense. Y’all understand what I’m saying, I’m sure. Optimal and Pessimal are indeed opposites, but only if you’re intending optimal to mean “positive oriented”, which is not the meaning I intended to project. Saying “sub-optimal” seems like a cheat. It’s just as simple as saying “un-optimal” or “anti-optimal”, neither being “optimal” choices of vocabulary. thanks for trying though ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/12 "2003-03-04T22:30:30Z")
Perhaps “optimal ineffiency” then? Take the opposite of effiency instead of optimal… ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/13 "2003-03-04T23:06:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by criminalcatalog \* > \*\*I haven’t been able to get a good answer yet, that’s why I come to the true minds of the web - the sdmb. > > What’s the opposite of “optimal”, when used in the context of “most efficient”? In other words, what is a word for “least efficient” that is the contrary of optimal? \*\* Not a perfect match but how about _erratic_. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/14 "2003-03-05T00:33:59Z")
In my experience, “crappily” works in common usage. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/15 "2003-03-05T01:21:34Z")
Minimal? ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/16 "2003-03-05T01:54:50Z")
Marginal? As in, NOT optimal? Questionable? ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/17 "2003-03-05T02:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Saying “sub-optimal” seems like a cheat It is a pretty widely used term… sub means “below”. To truly be pessimal (as bad as possible) a system would be worse than neutral - it would be actively causing havoc. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/18 "2003-03-05T02:35:11Z")
How about “ineffective”? It would seem to me that the opposite of most efficient would be to do nothing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/19 "2003-03-05T03:20:38Z")
Well, the intensive form of “pessimal” is “most pessimal” - does that convey things properly? I agree, BTW, that “pessimal” alone is ambiguous, but it’s the best word we’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![tinyapps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tinyapps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tinyapps)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072/20 "2016-11-25T03:08:08Z")
“Pessimal” was included in the 1993 [OED Additions Series](http://public.oed.com/history-of-the-oed/oed-editions/additions-to-the-second-edition/), with usage quotations from 1960, 1977, 1978, and 1987. [Version 4.0 of the Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition) on CD-ROM](http://public.oed.com/about/the-oed-in-print-and-on-cd-rom/buy-the-oed-on-cd-rom/), gives the definition as “Worst or least favourable; that is at the worst possible extreme.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonym-of-optimal/159072.md?page=2)