FUTILE

bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain

(adjective) unproductive of success; “a fruitless search”; “futile years after her artistic peak”; “a sleeveless errand”; “a vain attempt”

futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailing, meaningless

(adjective) producing no result or effect; “a futile effort”; “the therapy was ineffectual”; “an otiose undertaking”; “an unavailing attempt”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

futile (comparative more futile, superlative most futile)

Incapable of producing results; doomed not to be successful; not worth attempting.

Synonym: useless

Synonyms

• See also futile

Antonyms

• effectual

• effective

Source: Wiktionary

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Fu"tile, a. Etym: [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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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