futile

[fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl]

adjective

1. incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful.

   Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.

2. trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

futile

/ ˈfjuːtaɪl /

adjective

1. having no effective result; unsuccessful

2. pointless; unimportant; trifling

3. inane or foolish

   don't be so futile!

Other Word Forms

• futileness noun
• futilely adverb
• nonfutile adjective
• unfutile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of futile¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin fūtilis, futtilis “easily broken, vain, worthless,” equivalent to fūt- (akin to fundere “to pour, melt”) + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of futile¹

C16: from Latin futtilis pouring out easily, worthless, from fundere to pour out

Synonym Study

See useless.

Example Sentences

With the House adjourned for the shutdown and the Senate only taking periodic, futile votes to open the government, D.C. was easily 10 degrees cooler.

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No Kings will remind political bystanders — and the undecided — that resistance is not futile.

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The Brewers’ futile effort to stop the Dodgers on Monday night consisted of them deploying six pitchers in a so-called bullpen game.

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Sometimes, it’s futile to fight a client who clings to lofty expectations.

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Churchill disagreed—believing such schemes were futile and ineffective—as did many across the political spectrum.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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