1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
the prison is so well guarded that all attempts to escape have been futile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the futile chatter of gossip columnists about the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of futile
Fahd, cradling his bloodied baby, pressing his hand to Sam’s head in a futile attempt to staunch the bleeding.
—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
The suit recounts the rapid deterioration — and futile attempts to salvage — what for a long time had been a mutually beneficial professional and artistic partnership.
—
Mary Carole McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
His futile dreams of Mexico were not a metaphor for a life frustrated by unresolved dreams.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Billionaire Tom Steyer, who had been polling near the top of the leaderboard for California governor, sank more than $213 million of his own money into what now increasingly looks like a futile bid.
—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for futile
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
The suit recounts the rapid deterioration — and futile attempts to salvage — what for a long time had been a mutually beneficial professional and artistic partnership.
—
Mary Carole McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
His futile dreams of Mexico were not a metaphor for a life frustrated by unresolved dreams.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Billionaire Tom Steyer, who had been polling near the top of the leaderboard for California governor, sank more than $213 million of his own money into what now increasingly looks like a futile bid.
—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for futile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futile
Adjective
-
More than a decade ago, her association sought the same change at the federal level and was unsuccessful — opposed at the time by Wine Institute.
-
The city had taken it over, but several attempts at renovation were unsuccessful, until Alan Leventhal, chief executive of Beacon Capital Partners, happened to see the building and envisioned it as a great hotel.
Adjective
-
Over the years, the visuals dramatically improve, from snuff film aesthetics to confidently silly splendor.
-
The Alexa smart assistant is as good as ever, with tons of useful and silly skills, along with deep integration for ordering items via Amazon.
Adjective
-
The six Republican appointees said those protections were effectively useless and not binding.
-
Most of the information is useless.
Adjective
-
One detour led me to Paul Krassner, a founding member of the Yippies, a radical (and radically goofy) New Left group.
-
Alongside Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and his best friend, Shaggy Rogers, Scooby spent decades unmasking supposedly supernatural villains while winning over generations of fans with his goofy charm, insatiable appetite and signature catchphrases.
Adjective
-
And then there are the uptempo perennials that made Highland, California the giddiest place on earth.
-
Alpha Camp − Nikki Hru, Maddy Jones, Leiya Pillitteri − had seemed giddy with confidence before the flaming arrow competition.
Cite this Entry
“Futile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futile. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
