dysfunctional

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The messy shenanigans marked a fitting conclusion to the series that premiered in 2000 about a comically dysfunctional family and which became one of Fox’s signature hits during its seven-season run.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

In the early 2000s, television viewers first discovered "Malcolm in the Middle," the hilarious tale of a teenager trying to survive the antics of his dysfunctional family.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

A self-assured, naive young woman joins a dysfunctional theater company in Beryl Bainbridge’s darkly comic novel of mishaps and maturity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Even as United have fallen short of expectations, Fernandes has delivered in what has often been a dysfunctional environment, which has now stabilised under interim boss Michael Carrick.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

And this touches me, somehow, even more than the presumptive lie about his assets: that this place he has described as so morbidly dysfunctional could amount to a real and compelling human community.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich