What is another word for futile?

Synonyms for futile
ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪlfu·tile

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word futile.

Wiktionary2.0 / 1 vote

  1. futileadjective

    Synonyms:
    ineffectual, fruitless, vain, unavailing, idle

    Antonyms:
    effective, effectual

  2. futileadjective

    Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.

    Synonyms:
    idle, unavailing, vain, fruitless, ineffectual

    Antonyms:
    effective, effectual

English Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. futile

    Vain (Latin vanus, empty) keeps the etymological idea through all changes of meaning; a vain endeavor is empty of result, or of adequate power to produce a result, a vain pretension is empty or destitute of support, a vain person has a conceit that is empty or destitute of adequate cause or reason. That which is bootless, fruitless, or profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result; that which is abortive, ineffectual, or unavailing fails to accomplish a result that it was, or was supposed to be, adapted to accomplish. That which is useless, futile, or vain is inherently incapable of accomplishing a specified result. Useless, in the widest sense, signifies not of use for any valuable purpose, and is thus closely similar to valueless and worthless. Fruitless is more final than ineffectual, as applying to the sum or harvest of endeavor. That which is useless lacks actual fitness for a purpose; that which is vain lacks imaginable fitness. Compare VACANT; OSTENTATION; PRIDE.

    Compare synonyms for UTILITY.

    Synonyms:
    abortive, baseless, bootless, deceitful, delusive, empty, fruitless, idle, inconstant, ineffectual, nugatory, null, profitless, shadowy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unimportant, unprofitable, unreal, unsatisfying, unserviceable, unsubstantial, useless, vain, vapid, visionary, worthless

    Antonyms:
    adequate, advantageous, beneficial, competent, effective, efficient, expedient, potent, powerful, profitable, real, serviceable, solid, sound, substantial, sufficient, useful, valid, valuable, worthy

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms5.0 / 1 vote

  1. futile

    Synonyms:
    weak, ineffective, useless, nugatory, unavailing, vain, trifling

    Antonyms:
    powerful, effective, cogent, useful, solid, substantial

Princeton's WordNet4.0 / 1 vote

  1. futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailingadjective

    producing no result or effect

    "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt"

    Synonyms:
    senseless, ineffectual, bootless, work-shy, otiose, vain, purposeless, slothful, superfluous, unavailing, sleeveless, indolent, uneffective, faineant, pointless, wasted, unable, lazy, ineffective, fruitless

    Antonyms:
    useful, utile, productive

  2. bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vainadjective

    unproductive of success

    "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"

    Synonyms:
    unavailing, otiose, self-conceited, fruitless, egotistic, vain, conceited, swollen-headed, swollen, bootless, ineffectual, egotistical, sleeveless

    Antonyms:
    useful, utile, productive

Dictionary of English Synonymes2.0 / 1 vote

  1. futileadjective

    Synonyms:
    trifling, frivolous, trivial

  2. futileadjective

    Synonyms:
    worthless, valueless, profitless, fruitless, bootless, vain, idle, unprofitable

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. futileadjective

    Synonyms:
    vain, bootless, ineffectual, unavailing, abortive, useless

How to pronounce futile?

How to say futile in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#2578null
#2964empty
#3646unable
#4981weak
#9013idle
#9125lazy
#9462unnecessary
#10226useless
#12442wasted
#12556trivial
#13230unreal
#15690vain
#17103unsuccessful
#17218ineffective
#17350needless
#17502sterile
#18270pointless
#19590visionary
#19887meaningless
#20769worthless
#21156swollen
#22525sleeveless
#24369unhelpful
#26975futile
#30439frivolous
#32026unimportant
#35057senseless
#35699superfluous
#38689shadowy
#48116fruitless
#48348unproductive
#55524deceitful
#55539unprofitable
#60134baseless
#61666ineffectual
#64373egotistical
#67211conceited
#69037trifling
#72180abortive
#80300indolent
#90731unsatisfying
#94014vapid
#109464unavailing
#114767slothful
#131299unserviceable
#146779inconstant
#148311purposeless
#203636delusive
#236805egotistic
#244598unsubstantial
#245515nugatory
#291737profitless

How to use futile in a sentence?

  1. Kim Jong:

    Lankov, an expert at Korea Risk Group, said. U.S. diplomats here and across the world are working to rein in the North Korean regime. But Lankov, also a professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said their efforts could be futile. Pohang, South Korea on Sept. 12, 2017. Experts say North Korea leader Kim Jong Un wants to have the capability of carrying out a major attack. ( Fox News) ‘ I don’t think there is, unfortunately, any way to stop them.

  2. Norman Vincent Peale:

    The how thinker gets problems solved effectively because he wastes no time with futile ifs.

  3. Clarence Darrow:

    We know life is futile. A man who considers that his life is of very wonderful importance is awfully close to a padded cell.

  4. Carrie Lam:

    Constitutional development must be built on the basis of the Basic Law and the decision of (China's) NPCSC (National People's Congress Standing Committee), otherwise it would only be futile and impractical and the aim of universal suffrage for the CE (Chief Executive) election would only become a 'castle in the air'.

  5. Peter Kinsella:

    It could be that they are realising interventions are futile - there is no point throwing good money after bad - and letting the currency weaken a little bit.


Translations for futile

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"futile." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/futile>.

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