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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 ball hit Aina's shoulder before striking his arm as the defender tried to turn, prompting Arteta and Arsenal to vehemently appeal for a spot-kick - to no avail.

From BBC

I have attempted to talk to my local Social Security office about this, but to no avail.

From MarketWatch

He spent months sending out résumés for full-time jobs to no avail.

From The Wall Street Journal

She also went to the airport hoping to buy flights in person, to no avail.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alexander Hamilton supposedly stood on the steps and begged the mob to turn back, to no avail.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.