What are some alternative words for futile?
Synonyms for futile
ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪl
This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term futile.
Princeton's WordNet
futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailing(adj)
producing no result or effect
"a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt"
Synonyms:
senseless, ineffectual, bootless, work-shy, otiose, vain, purposeless, slothful, superfluous, unavailing, sleeveless, indolent, uneffective, faineant, pointless, wasted, unable, lazy, ineffective, fruitlessAntonyms:
useful, utile, productivebootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain(adj)
unproductive of success
"a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"
Synonyms:
unavailing, otiose, self-conceited, fruitless, egotistic, vain, conceited, swollen-headed, swollen, bootless, ineffectual, egotistical, sleevelessAntonyms:
useful, utile, productive
Wiktionary
futile(adjective)
Synonyms:
ineffectual, fruitless, vain, unavailing, idlefutile(adjective)
Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.
Synonyms:
idle, unavailing, vain, fruitless, ineffectual
English Synonyms and Antonyms
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.
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, worthlessAntonyms:
adequate, advantageous, beneficial, competent, effective, efficient, expedient, potent, powerful, profitable, real, serviceable, solid, sound, substantial, sufficient, useful, valid, valuable, worthy
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
futile
Synonyms:
weak, ineffective, useless, nugatory, unavailing, vain, triflingAntonyms:
powerful, effective, cogent, useful, solid, substantial
Dictionary of English Synonymes
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
futile(a)
Synonyms:
vain, bootless, ineffectual, unavailing, abortive, useless
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "futile":
useless, pointless, vain, fruitless, frivolous, sterile, unnecessary, trivial, meaningless, unhelpful, worthless, unsuccessful, senseless, needless, unproductive
Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#2578 | null | |
#2964 | empty | |
#3646 | unable | |
#4981 | weak | |
#9013 | idle | |
#9125 | lazy | |
#9462 | unnecessary | |
#10226 | useless | |
#12442 | wasted | |
#12556 | trivial | |
#13230 | unreal | |
#15690 | vain | |
#17103 | unsuccessful | |
#17218 | ineffective | |
#17350 | needless | |
#17502 | sterile | |
#18270 | pointless | |
#19590 | visionary | |
#19887 | meaningless | |
#20769 | worthless | |
#21156 | swollen | |
#22525 | sleeveless | |
#24369 | unhelpful | |
#26975 | futile | |
#30439 | frivolous | |
#32026 | unimportant | |
#35057 | senseless | |
#35699 | superfluous | |
#38689 | shadowy | |
#48116 | fruitless | |
#48348 | unproductive | |
#55524 | deceitful | |
#55539 | unprofitable | |
#60134 | baseless | |
#61666 | ineffectual | |
#64373 | egotistical | |
#67211 | conceited | |
#69037 | trifling | |
#72180 | abortive | |
#80300 | indolent | |
#90731 | unsatisfying | |
#94014 | vapid | |
#109464 | unavailing | |
#114767 | slothful | |
#131299 | unserviceable | |
#146779 | inconstant | |
#148311 | purposeless | |
#203636 | delusive | |
#236805 | egotistic | |
#244598 | unsubstantial | |
#245515 | nugatory | |
#291737 | profitless |
How to use futile in a sentence?
Once in five years we get a chance to voice our disapproval, a futile exercise.
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.
***(C)(P) 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.
Gag orders are futile in a case of global interest in the digital age, we urge Australian authorities to drop these proceedings and to re-examine the application of such suppression orders.
The clients are loyal to their benefits and not to any brand or sales person, so it is futile on part of an organisation to think that it can replicate its competitors’ business growth by just recruiting or poaching their star performer unless and until it offers him the same working policy, strategy, culture and environment.
Translations for futile
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- عَقيمArabic
- fútilCatalan, Valencian
- jalovýCzech
- nytteløsDanish
- sinnlos, vergeblichGerman
- μάταιοςGreek
- inútil, fútilSpanish
- پوچ, عبث, بى فايدهPersian
- turha, tulokseton, toivotonFinnish
- nyttuleysurFaroese
- futileFrench
- faoin, dìomhainScottish Gaelic
- fútilGalician
- futileItalian
- עקרHebrew
- 無用, 無駄, 無益Japanese
- ფუჭიGeorgian
- អសារKhmer
- 효과 없는Korean
- futile, futilisLatin
- အလဟဿဖြစ်သော, အချည်းနှီးဖြစ်သောBurmese
- nutteloosDutch
- chʼééhNavajo, Navaho
- futilOccitan
- daremnyPolish
- fútilPortuguese
- напрасный, бесполезный, тщетный, бесплодныйRussian
- nepatrný, márny, zbytočnýSlovak
- fåfäng, lönlös, meningslösSwedish
- ไร้ประโยชน์Thai
- марноUkrainian
- 无用Chinese
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Translation
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Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
"futile." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 6 Mar. 2021. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/futile>.