Definitions for futile
ˈfyut l, ˈfyu taɪlfu·tile

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 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"

2. bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vainadjective

   unproductive of success

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. futileadjective

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

2. Etymology: From futilis.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. FUTILEadjective

   Etymology: futile, French; futilis, Latin.

   1. Talkative; loquacious.

   One futile person, that maketh it his glory to tell, will do more hurt than many that know it their duty to conceal. Francis Bacon.

   2. Trifling; worthless; of no weight.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. futile

   Futile refers to something that is incapable of producing any useful result; pointless or ineffective. It is often used to describe attempts or actions that are bound to fail or not lead to a favorable outcome.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Futileverb

   talkative; loquacious; tattling

2. Futileverb

   of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain; worthless

3. Etymology: [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.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Futile

   fū′tīl, adj. useless: unavailing: trifling.—adv. Fū′tilely.—ns. Futilitā′rian, one who gives himself to profitless pursuits; Futil′ity, uselessness. [Fr.,—L. futilis—fundĕre, to pour.]

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. futileverb

   useless, pointless

   It is futile to blame workers.

   
   

   Submitted by anonymous on November 11, 2021  

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce futile?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say futile in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of futile in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of futile in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of futile in a Sentence

1. 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.

2. Kim Jong:

   Lankov, an expert at Korea Risk Group, said. U.S. diplomats here and across the world are working to rein in the North Korean regime. But Lankov, also a professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said their efforts could be futile. Pohang, South Korea on Sept. 12, 2017. Experts say North Korea leader Kim Jong Un wants to have the capability of carrying out a major attack. ( Fox News) ‘ I don’t think there is, unfortunately, any way to stop them.

3. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday:

   When we began this campaign, we were told by political pundits and all of the great experts out there, they said, 'Bernie, if you want to run a serious national campaign, you have to understand that it requires a whole lot of money. Otherwise it's really a futile effort. And the only way you can raise all of that money is through a super PAC,' we decided not to do that. I do not represent corporate America, I don't represent the billionaire class. So we decided we don't want their money, we're not going to ask for their money. But then the question was, 'Can we turn out enough money to run a serious campaign?' Well, it turns out we can, and that with an extraordinary outpouring of support from the middle class and working families of this country, we have received 2.3 million individual contributions. And that is just mind-blowing to me.

4. 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.

5. Yukio Mishima:

   If we value so highly the dignity of life, how can we not also value the dignity of death No death may be called futile.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=futile
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Futile
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=futile
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/futile
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=futile
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=futile