futile

American  

[fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl] / ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪl /

adjective

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

   Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.

2. trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

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futile British  

/ ˈfjuːtaɪl /

adjective

1. having no effective result; unsuccessful

2. pointless; unimportant; trifling

3. inane or foolish

   don't be so futile!

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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

Attempts to reverse course will likely prove futile — while enabling foreign competitors and unscrupulous individuals and groups to shape the economy in ways that undermine U.S. interests and values.

From MarketWatch

Potts was asked to bowl one more futile spell of bouncers, with the maddening Smith playing tennis-style smashes and signalling a wide to the umpires.

From BBC

As their perilous and ultimately futile journey continues, Ishmaelle and the monk become closer, somehow finding the words to speak to each other across the ocean of linguistic difference between English and Chinese.

From Los Angeles Times

There was enough hope in everyday life to hold onto, and the starry-eyed vision of the future made the rapture’s fearmongering futile.

From Salon

Avuncular and experienced, he advises her to be more likable, which seems futile, because everyone she meets quickly gets exasperated by her combination of earnest idealism and hall-monitor insistence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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