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futile

Pronunciation:  'fyootl

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Matching Terms:  futilely, futility, futilous

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [adj]  unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"
  2. [adj]  producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt"
 
 Synonyms: bootless, fruitless, ineffectual, otiose, sleeveless, unavailing, unproductive, useless, vain
 

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
\Fu"tile\ (?; 277), a. [L. futilis that easily pours out,
that easily lets loose, vain, worthless, from the root of
fundere to pour out: cf. F. futile. See {Fuse}, v. t.]
1. Talkative; loquacious; tattling. [Obs.]

         Talkers and futile persons.           --Bacon.

2. Of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain;
   worthless. ``Futile theories.'' --I. Taylor.

         His reasoning . . . was singularly futile.
                                               --Macaulay.

 
Thesaurus Terms
 
 Related Terms: abortive, absurd, airy, apish, asinine, bad, barren, batty, befooled, beguiled, besotted, bootless, brainless, buffoonish, catchpenny, cockeyed, counterproductive, crazy, credulous, daffy, daft, dazed, dizzy, doomed, doting, dumb, effete, empty, etiolated, failed, failing, fatuitous, fatuous, feckless, flaky, flimsy, fond, fool, foolheaded, foolish, foredoomed, fribble, fribbling, frivolous, frothy, fruitless, fuddled, gaga, goofy, gulled, hollow, idiotic, idle, ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-suited, ill-timed, imbecile, impolitic, impotent, improper, in vain, inadequate, inadvisable, inane, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, inept, inexpedient, infatuated, infelicitous, inoperative, inopportune, insane, insufficient, invalid, kooky, lame, light, loony, mad, mal a propos, malapropos, manque, maudlin, miscarried, miscarrying, moronic, nugacious, nugatory, nutty, of no effect, of no force, otiose, out of place, profitless, sappy, screwy, senseless, sentimental, shallow, silly, slender, slight, sterile, stickit, stillborn, stupid, successless, superficial, thoughtless, trifling, trite, trivial, unavailable, unavailing, unbefitting, undesirable, unfit, unfitting, unfortunate, unhappy, unmeet, unproductive, unprofitable, unsatisfactory, unseasonable, unseemly, unsuccessful, unsuitable, untimely, unwise, useless, vacuous, vain, vapid, wacky, wet, windy, witless, worthless, wrong
 

 

 

 

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