FUTILE Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'futile' different from other adjectives like it?

The words fruitless and vain are common synonyms of futile . While all three words 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

Q: How do 'fruitless' and 'vain' relate to one another, in the sense of 'futile'?

Fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment. // fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

Q: When could 'vain' be used to replace 'futile'?

The words vain and futile can be used in similar contexts, but vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result. // a vain attempt to get the car started

futile

adjective

ˈfyü-tᵊl

Definition of futile next

as in unsuccessful

producing no results the prison is so well guarded that all attempts to escape have been futile

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in silly

lacking in seriousness or maturity the futile chatter of gossip columnists about the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word futile different from other adjectives like it?

The words fruitless and vain are common synonyms of futile. While all three words 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

How do fruitless and vain relate to one another, in the sense of futile?

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

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

When could vain be used to replace futile?

The words vain and futile can be used in similar contexts, but vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

Examples of futile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some goals, like lifting saggy jowls (the holy grail!), simply cannot be achieved with filler—and blindly pursuing them is futile at best. —

Jolene Edgar, Allure, 24 Sep. 2024 Gaby feels that further efforts to reconcile would be futile. —

Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 17 Sep. 2024 Indiana hasn’t played in the Rose Bowl since its futile attempt to stop USC running back O.J. Simpson on Jan. 1, 1968, making the team’s return this week to face UCLA something of a now-or-never pilgrimage for those who played in that game. —

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024 But to those four candidates, any potential change is futile if predicated on unresolved governance disputes. —

Liam Adams, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for futile

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'futile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.