She tried ineffectually to light the primus, and Thomas came to help her.    From Wordnet, Princeton University. 

Adjective : an ineffectual remedy. ,His efforts to sell the house were ineffectual.    From Dictionary.com. 

In 1667 it was ineffectually bombarded by the Dutch.    From Wordnik.com.  [Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary"] Reference

Yet an eyeless orb is yearning ineffectually to thee.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Poems and Fragments of Catullus] Reference

A cellphone vibrates ineffectually against unfeeling skin.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Devil's Bedpost] Reference

His eyes closed and he struck out wildly and ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Boy Land Boomer Dick Arbuckle's Adventures in Oklahoma] Reference

Selwyn tried ineffectually to stem the torrent of complaint.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Hermit of Far End] Reference

Aunt Agatha dabbed ineffectually at her round, aggrieved eyes.    From Wordnik.com.  [Diane of the Green Van] Reference

Universities for translation, but ineffectually; then to the Post.    From Wordnik.com.  [An Account of Timbuctoo and Housa Territories in the Interior of Africa] Reference

Si'Wren wiped ineffectually at her tears, smearing her wet cheeks.    From Wordnik.com.  [Si'Wren of the Patriarchs] Reference

Few passages in Shakspeare have so often and so ineffectually been.    From Wordnik.com.  [Notes and Queries, Number 192, July 2, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc] Reference

Struggling frantically but ineffectually, she uttered a maniacal scream.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Eternal Maiden] Reference

But before that, they accomplished what had been ineffectually tried by the poet of.    From Wordnik.com.  [Epic and Romance Essays on Medieval Literature] Reference

Happy bleated in fright and distress, trying ineffectually to ward off his attacker.    From Wordnik.com.  [Rebels of the Red Planet] Reference

They explained the object of their visit, but pleaded and remonstrated ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885] Reference

Or had he blotted it from his mind, as she had endeavoured -- ineffectually -- to do?.    From Wordnik.com.  [Antony Gray,—Gardener] Reference

I have examined all the various works on extinct and dormant baronetcies ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [Notes and Queries, Number 44, August 31, 1850] Reference

His voice rose faintly, almost ineffectually contending against the sounds of the insects.    From Wordnik.com.  [Sacrifice] Reference

Each one of the five had shot ineffectually at the brute, which seemed to bear a charmed life.    From Wordnik.com.  [Woman on the American Frontier] Reference

During the progress of the bill several amendments were proposed, but always ineffectually; and.    From Wordnik.com.  [The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. From George III. to Victoria] Reference

Why passed the syllables now coldly and ineffectually across the heart they could not penetrate?.    From Wordnik.com.  [Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 53, No. 327, January, 1843] Reference

She struggled ineffectually a moment and then came the dangerous quietness that waited a chance.    From Wordnik.com.  [Christopher Hibbault, Roadmaker] Reference

The Germans have made a routine of their attacks, always making them at night and always ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [The New York Times Current History: the European War, February, 1915] Reference

Yet his first sensation was one of acute disappointment, which he strove rather ineffectually, to conceal.    From Wordnik.com.  [Hidden Gold] Reference

Two of them had been sprung ineffectually; in others he found a raccoon, a cross-fox, a musk-rat and an otter.    From Wordnik.com.  [Kiddie the Scout] Reference

All this while the North has been resisting, feebly and ineffectually, this succession of Southern aggressions.    From Wordnik.com.  [Narrative of the Life of J.D. Green, a Runaway Slave, from Kentucky Containing an Account of His Three Escapes, in 1839, 1846, and 1848] Reference

It had cramped her into a narrow groove wherein to struggle would only have been to injure herself ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Heavenly Twins] Reference

Objections were found against all these plans, as they had been ineffectually tried by various members of the club.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Knights of the White Shield Up-the-Ladder Club Series, Round One Play] Reference

I should ineffectually attempt to describe the circumstances and situation which have given rise to these reflections.    From Wordnik.com.  [A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, Complete Described in a Series of Letters from an English Lady: with General and Incidental Remarks on the French Character and Manners] Reference

He had directed the guns of the batteries to open on the American squadron, but ineffectually, as they were too far off.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation Volume 1] Reference

At dinner, poor Denis Wilde curses Monsieur D'Arblet; Miss Frampton, and his own fate, indiscriminately and ineffectually.    From Wordnik.com.  [Vera Nevill Or, Poor Wisdom's Chance] Reference

"Not while I live, Hardy!" said the dying Nelson, ineffectually endeavouring to raise himself from the bed; "do you anchor.".    From Wordnik.com.  [Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 8] Reference

Poor FIBBINS tries, ineffectually, to conceal his delight, and his eye turns instinctively to the place where the fee is marked.    From Wordnik.com.  [Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 101, October 3, 1891] Reference

Then as she hauled ineffectually at the bridle with all her strength there came from behind her the sound of a long, shrill whistle.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Sheik] Reference

When he was ten years old he had read standard works, and at twelve is stated to have struggled, ineffectually perhaps, with Newton's.    From Wordnik.com.  [Steam, Steel and Electricity] Reference

A man was trying most ineffectually to hold him, but it seemed as if in another minute he would come plunging into the seat with them.    From Wordnik.com.  [Marcia Schuyler] Reference