fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

2

: lacking or not bearing fruit

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun

Synonyms

• abortive
• barren
• bootless
• empty
• futile
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inefficacious
• otiose
• profitless
• unavailing
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unsuccessful
• useless
• vain

Choose the Right Synonym for fruitless

futile, vain, fruitless mean producing no result.

futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

resistance had proved so futile that surrender was the only choice left

vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

Examples of fruitless in a Sentence

They made a fruitless attempt to find a solution.

It would be fruitless to continue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Precious Achiuwa’s minutes have been few, far-between and largely fruitless in the playoffs. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025

If Richardson can’t retain the starting job over Jones, who was jettisoned by the New York Giants and is 3-13 in his last 16 starts, then a miss that big on a pick that high could spell the end of Ballard’s largely fruitless nine-year tenure in Indianapolis. —James Boyd, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025

The same Georgia committee has been pursuing a thus-far fruitless investigation of another Trump enemy, Fulton County Dist. —Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

The efforts of police, private investigators and the FBI proved fruitless. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruytles, frutles, from fruyt, frut fruit entry 1 + -les -less

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fruitless

• bootless
• rootless

Kids Definition

fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: not bearing fruit

2

: producing no good results : unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun