futile

[fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl]

adjective

1. incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful.

   Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.

2. trifling; frivolous; unimportant.

futile

/ ˈfjuːtaɪl /

adjective

1. having no effective result; unsuccessful

2. pointless; unimportant; trifling

3. inane or foolish

   don't be so futile!

Other Word Forms

• futilely adverb
• futileness noun
• nonfutile adjective
• unfutile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of futile¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin fūtilis, futtilis “easily broken, vain, worthless,” equivalent to fūt- (akin to fundere “to pour, melt”) + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of futile¹

C16: from Latin futtilis pouring out easily, worthless, from fundere to pour out

Synonym Study

See useless.

Example Sentences

Though it may feel futile, Mayor Karen Bass is encouraging residents to beautify the streets for the 2028 Olympics, and joined Mather at a cleanup event in Sherman Oaks earlier this year.

From Los Angeles Times

In his late 70s and reportedly in poor health, he may have reasoned that it was futile to continue to claim his innocence, especially given Guzmán's conviction and life sentence in 2019.

From BBC

Lavrov said on Thursday that any other security framework would be "an absolutely futile undertaking".

From BBC

But U.S. efforts to get Russia to halt the fighting have proved futile for months, with Moscow pressing forward in an offensive that has secured incremental gains on the battlefield.

From Los Angeles Times

Takht-Ravanchi insisted it would not happen and the idea was "tantamount to a futile exercise".

From BBC

Related Words

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