The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
futile
adjective /ˈfjuː.taɪl/
/-t̬əl/ Definition
› (of actions) having no effect or achieving nothing: Attempts to get supplies to the region are futile because troops will not allow the aid convoy to enter the city. It's quite futile trying to reason with him - he just won't listen. All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.Useless and futileUnsuccessful (people and things) futility
/fjuːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/
/-t̬i/ noun [U] › "What's his latest book about?" "Oh, the usual - the transience of love and the futility of life."Useless and futile
/-t̬i/ noun [U] › "What's his latest book about?" "Oh, the usual - the transience of love and the futility of life."Useless and futile(Definition of futile adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Focus on the pronunciation of futile
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Unsuccessful (people and things), but you might be interested in these topics from the Doing and achieving topic area:
- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Delaying and wasting time
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making progress and advancing
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Trying and making an effort
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus: Unsuccessful (people and things)
Synonyms and related words:
- abortive adjective
- achiever noun
- be dead in the water idiom
- botched adjective
- counterproductive adjective
- flatline verb
- frustrated adjective
- go/get/head nowhere idiom
- inauspicious adjective
- lame duck noun (UNSUCCESSFUL)
- no-win adjective
- small-time adjective
- stillborn adjective
- struggling adjective
- the doldrums noun
- unavailing adjective
- unglued adjective
- unpromising adjective
- vainly adverb
- washed up adjective
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
