Dictionary.com

futile

[ fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl ]
/ ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR futile ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful: Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.
trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

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a person given to voluble, empty talk.
an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
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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

synonym study for futile

1. See useless.

OTHER WORDS FROM futile

fu·tile·ly, adverbfu·tile·ness, nounnon·fu·tile, adjectiveun·fu·tile, adjective

Words nearby futile

fusuma, fut., Futabatei, Futcher's line, futhark, futile, futilitarian, futility, futon, futsal, futtock
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to futile

fruitless, worthless, impractical, ineffective, vain, insufficient, hollow, ineffectual, useless, unsuccessful, unproductive, unprofitable, trivial, abortive, barren, bootless, delusive, empty, exhausted, forlorn

Example sentences from the Web for futile

British Dictionary definitions for futile

futile
/ (ˈfjuːtaɪl) /

adjective

having no effective result; unsuccessful
pointless; unimportant; trifling
inane or foolishdon't be so futile!

Derived forms of futile

futilely, adverbfutileness, noun

Word Origin for futile

C16: from Latin futtilis pouring out easily, worthless, from fundere to pour out
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012