futile
Americanadjective
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incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful.
Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.
-
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
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.
When he realized arguing with fanatic believers was futile, Dr. Lee stopped responding, “he had other business to attend to.”
From Literature
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
With as many Netflix original movies as I’ve seen and as cognizant as I am about them being constructed to appeal to the growing attention-deficient demographic, these futile additional aspects always take me by surprise.
From Salon
Standing in front of him every day and trying to ask him salient questions was often futile.
From Salon
It was felt that any surgical intervention would be futile, the court heard.
From BBC
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.
