noun
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lack of effectiveness or success
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lack of purpose or meaning
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something futile
Etymology
Origin of futility
From the Latin word fūtilitās, dating back to 1615–25. See futile, -ity
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.
Strikingly for someone with an enviable career, she is wonderfully unsparing on the futility of chasing success.
Our attention pivots to the futility of this self-described “little guy” trying to get someone with clout to take him seriously.
From Los Angeles Times
Meanwhile. the Indiana Pacers matched a franchise record for futility with their 12th straight defeat, falling 135-127 to the Magic in Orlando.
From Barron's
For many in Rarotonga, there is a sense of futility when it comes to U.S.-China competition and deep-sea mining, even though technically the islands haven’t yet formally legalized mining.
Bowden’s suggestion that unhappy Pirates fans exhausted by the perennial futility try the Dodgers did not go over well in Pittsburgh.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
