futile
Americanadjective
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incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful.
Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.
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trifling; frivolous; unimportant.
adjective
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having no effective result; unsuccessful
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pointless; unimportant; trifling
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inane or foolish
don't be so futile!
Related Words
See useless.
Other Word Forms
- futilely adverb
- futileness noun
- nonfutile adjective
- unfutile adjective
Etymology
Origin of futile
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin fūtilis, futtilis “easily broken, vain, worthless,” equivalent to fūt- (akin to fundere “to pour, melt”) + -ilis -ile
Explanation
When something fails to deliver a useful result, you can call it futile. Hopefully all the time you're spending studying vocabulary won't turn out to be futile! Futile comes from the Latin futilis, which originally meant "leaky." Although we use futile to talk about more than buckets, the image of a leaky vessel is a good illustration of the adjective. Pouring water into a leaky bucket is futile. Your exercise program will be futile if you don't stop chowing down on chocolate. Futile is fancier than its synonym useless. Other synonyms are fruitless or vain. The i can be either short (FYOO-t'l) or long (FYOO-tile).
Vocabulary lists containing futile
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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I Am Malala
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The Hunger Games
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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.
Harrison said he expects restrictions like those requested of Planet to become more common, but increasingly more futile as the industry expands and new providers emerge across the globe.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
He observes that, from an engineering perspective, it might be futile to try making machines that are fully human—after all, our various abilities have been refined through a lengthy, data-rich evolution.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
For now, mining is largely done in ways reminiscent of the United States' gold rush in the 19th century, when so many ended up exhausted in a futile hunt for treasure.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
After her attempts to hide from the colectivos proved futile, Irma decided she had to start over somewhere new.
From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026
“I quite agree, Alexander,” Penelope said, making a final, futile effort to read the map before putting it away.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
