to no avail

Idioms  

1. Also, of little or no avail. Of no use or advantage, ineffective, as in All his shouting was to no avail; no one could hear him, or The life jacket was of little or no avail. This idiom uses avail in the sense of “advantage” or “assistance,” a usage dating from the mid-1400s. Also see to little purpose.

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Example Sentences

Botswana and its president, Duma Boko, De Beers' biggest producer partner with a 15-percent holding, led a determined push to finalise a deal by last year but to no avail.

From Barron's

They finally used a bystander’s legs as a makeshift platform — to no avail.

From Los Angeles Times

With their mother gone, the teenager tried to feed the baby, who was exclusively breastfed, formula to no avail.

From Salon

“As for contacting you two, leading you to this room. Her idea, I’m told, was to meet you here. To explain all of this herself. This, I’m afraid, was overruled. She pleaded for permission, but to no avail. And so here I am in her place. A poor substitute, I confess.”

From Literature

In an open letter, Tawfiq al-Tirawi, 77, said he had repeatedly alerted the Palestinian president to cases of graft, but to no avail.

From Barron's

Related Words

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