in vain

1. To no avail, useless, as in All our work was in vain. [c. 1300] Also see take someone's name in vain.

Related Words

• fruitless 
• hollow 
• impractical 
• ineffective 
• ineffectual 
• insufficient 
• trivial 
• unproductive 
• unprofitable 
• unsuccessful 
• useless 
• vain 
• worthless