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Synonyms

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.

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.

The women said they tried to raise awareness and have the factory investigated by petitioning politicians and holding lawful protests, but to no avail.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Stars like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and teenage wonder Macklin Celebrini repeatedly barraged the zone, to no avail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

She said she had visited 21 doctors over the years trying to investigate her condition, to no avail.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

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

From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026

Though I struggled and pulled, it was to no avail.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

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.