futile

fu-tile · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.

  2. 2.

    Having no purpose or effectiveness; serving no practical use.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    futile attempt — an effort that is doomed to fail
  • •
    futile exercise — an activity that achieves nothing
  • •
    resistance is futile — there is no point in resisting (popularized by science fiction)

Related words

Antonyms: effective, productive, useful, worthwhile
See also: futility, pointless, useless, vain
Synonyms: fruitless, ineffective, pointless, useless, vain

Etymology

From Latin futilis ("pouring out easily, worthless, vain"), from fundere ("to pour"). The original sense related to a leaky vessel that couldn't hold water, hence something useless.