futile
Bound to fail
Futile describes efforts or actions that have no chance of success—pointless, useless, doomed to fail.
A futile attempt produces no result.
A futile gesture accomplishes nothing.
The word often carries a sense of wasted energy against impossible odds: Resistance was futile.
Futility is the noun form.
Failing to achieve purpose
- uselessWithout practical value
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- unavailingProducing no result
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
fruitless · bootless · purposeless · unsuccessful · powerless · impotent · inefficacious · vain
Carelessly used up
- misspentUsed badly or foolishly
- lost causeEndeavor certain to fail
- in vainWithout achieving anything
- for nothingAt zero cost
dissipated · profligate · unnecessary · superfluous · meaningless · redundant · Sisyphean · quixotic
Beyond possibility of success
- despondentDeeply discouraged, hopeless
- resignedYielded to circumstances
- defeatedOvercome in contest
- forlornSad and abandoned
bleak · fatalistic · nihilistic · pessimistic · discouraged · demoralized · disheartened · helpless
Lacking importance or consequence
- negligibleToo small to consider
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- pettyOf little importance
- triflingOf no real importance
inconsequential · unimportant · worthless · nugatory · paltry · frivolous · minor · immaterial
ineffectual
Failing to achieve purpose
- uselessWithout practical value
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- unavailingProducing no result
unproductive · fruitless · bootless · purposeless · unsuccessful · powerless · impotent · inefficacious · vain · to no avail
squandered
Carelessly used up
- misspentUsed badly or foolishly
- lost causeEndeavor certain to fail
- in vainWithout achieving anything
for nothing · dissipated · profligate · unnecessary · superfluous · meaningless · redundant · Sisyphean · quixotic · fool's errand
hopeless
Beyond possibility of success
- despondentDeeply discouraged, hopeless
- resignedYielded to circumstances
- defeatedOvercome in contest
forlorn · bleak · fatalistic · nihilistic · pessimistic · discouraged · demoralized · disheartened · helpless · gloomy
insignificant
Lacking importance or consequence
- negligibleToo small to consider
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- pettyOf little importance
trifling · inconsequential · unimportant · worthless · nugatory · paltry · frivolous · minor · immaterial · beside the point
- futileuseless, pointless, fruitless, vain, in vain
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- futilityin vain, pointlessness, vain, meaninglessness, no use
- SAT vocabularyaesthetic, ambiguous, benevolent, candid, concise
- shortcomingsdeficient, inadequate, lacking, inferior, subpar
- discouragementdiscouragement, dejection, defeatism, disappointment, letdown
futileeffective
Producing intended results
successful · productive · fruitful · efficacious · effectual
futileworthwhile
Meriting effort or attention
meaningful · useful · valuable · purposeful · profitable
futilehopeful
Feeling positive expectation
promising · feasible · achievable · attainable · realizable
- exercises in futilityActions certain to accomplish nothing
- resistance is futileStruggle is useless
- futile effortAction bound to fail