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
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
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