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

Several attempts have already been made to break the impasse, but to no avail.

From The Wall Street Journal

One could assume that such online rumors would weigh on the mental health of each member, perhaps frustrate them to no avail, but the group has made peace with the idea that some individuals will continue to question the group’s intentions.

From Los Angeles Times

"The customer service is dreadful. I email daily to no avail. I Facebook Message daily and I am still waiting for a resolution," Ms De Gennaro said.

From BBC

Lopez’s family searched for Sparky for nearly two days to no avail.

From Los Angeles Times

They repeatedly called and met with embassy leaders to request help, to no avail.

From Salon

Related Words

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