Synonyms

to no avail

Idioms

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.

One 59-year-old with 34 years of experience in the financial-services sector has been job hunting for 17 months, to no avail.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026

Her government has favored dialogue with the protesting teachers, but to no avail.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Sheriff’s personnel responded to the scene at 3 p.m. and used deescalation tactics to try to coax the suspect from the car for several hours to no avail.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

The U.S., the United Arab Emirates and Australia objected, to no avail as Iran took its seat.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Svetlana tried to console him by making grim faces, but to no avail.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

to no avail

Example Sentences

Related Words