futile

adj.

1. Having no useful result.
2. Trifling and frivolous; idle: the futile years after her artistic peak.

[Latin fūtilis.]

futilely fu'tile·ly adv.
futileness fu'tile·ness n.

SYNONYMS   futile, barren, bootless, fruitless, unavailing, useless, vain. These adjectives mean producing no result or effect: a futile effort; a barren search; bootless entreaties; fruitless labors; an unavailing attempt; a useless discussion; vain regrets.
ANTONYM  useful

adjective

Having no useful result: barren, bootless, fruitless, unavailing, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain. Idioms: in vain. See thrive/fail/exist, used/unused.

adj

Definition: hopeless, pointless
Antonyms: fruitful, hopeful, productive, profitable

---

IN BRIEF: Hopeless or useless.

It is futile to do with more what can be done with fewer. — William Ockham.

Tutor's tip: A serf in the Middle Ages would find it "futile" (not useful; ineffective) to rise up against a "feudal" (pertaining to the landowner structure in the Middle Ages) lord.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - forgæves, intetsigende

Nederlands (Dutch)
vergeefs, futiel, nietswaardig

Français (French)
adj. - vain, futile, sans valeur

Deutsch (German)
adj. - vergeblich

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - μάταιος, άκαρπος, ατελέσφορος, ασήμαντος

Italiano (Italian)
vano, inutile, futile, senza valore

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - inútil

Русский (Russian)
напрасный, бесполезный, пустячный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - vano, inútil, fútil, de ningún valor

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - fåfäng, innehållslös

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
无用的, 无效果的, 琐细的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 無用的, 無效果的, 瑣細的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 무익한, 쓸데없는, 하찮은, 시시한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 無駄な, くだらない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) تافه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮כושל, חסר-תועלת, ריק, הבלי, שעלה בתוהו, לא-יוצלח‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.