Antonyms for futile
ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪlfu·tile

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. futileadjective

   Antonyms:
   effective, effectual

   Synonyms:
   ineffectual, fruitless, vain, unavailing, idle

2. futileadjective

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

   Synonyms:
   idle, unavailing, vain, fruitless, ineffectual

   Antonyms:
   effective, effectual

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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.

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

   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

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. futile

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

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

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:4.0 / 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"

   Antonyms:
   useful, utile, productive

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

2. bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vainadjective

   unproductive of success

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

   Antonyms:
   useful, utile, productive

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

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. futileadjective

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

How to use futile in a sentence?

1. Nancy Pelosi:

   With only four legislative days left until the Republican Homeland Security Shutdown, Speaker Boehner made it clear that Speaker Boehner has no plan to avoid a government shutdown, the speaker's reliance on talking points and finger-pointing was a sad reflection of the fact that the Tea Party continues to hold the gavel as Senate Democrats insist on Senate Democrats futile anti-immigrant grandstanding.

2. Woodrow Wilson:

   A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.

3. Mickey Mehta:

   Man certainly is superior but mother nature is the absolute & the supreme. Don't even try to exceed the supreme it will be futile, instead try and merge with it transcending your own being. Then you will be at ultimate ease, life will simply be a breeze. Merge with divinity and capitalize, from superior become supreme and MickeyMize.

4. Wayne Wright:

   There are enough representatives on both sides of the aisle that recognize that it's kind of futile, number one, English is not under threat in Wayne Wright. And number two, it's divisive.

5. RAS CARDO REGGAE:

   its futile looking for -motives- when we already know the reasons as to why certain things happen. An exercise in futility will not a safe solution make. Most things are casually related. If a=b, and b=c, then a=c.

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