fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs How to pronounce fruitless (audio)
1
: unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
2
: lacking or not bearing fruit
fruitlessly adverb
fruitlessness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for fruitless

futile, vain, fruitless mean producing no result.

futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

resistance had proved so futile that surrender was the only choice left

vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

Examples of fruitless in a Sentence

They made a fruitless attempt to find a solution. It would be fruitless to continue.
Recent Examples on the Web Grammer clarifies the comment about learning his lines, explaining that the script changes so fast, as the writers work non-stop to mine every line for maximum viewer laughter, that memorizing anything is fruitless. Anne Easton, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 In the end, Brooke’s struggle reveals a deeper truth: That in a society in which the circumstances of birth still dictate much of one’s fate, the pursuit of fulfillment is fruitless without an honest understanding of the forces that shape and constrain it. Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2024 That the lengthy, fruitless probe into Biden by House Republicans warranted a refreshed probe should Trump be elected president again. Philip Bump, Washington Post, 8 July 2024 But so far, efforts to engage Moscow in negotiations to open a humanitarian corridor to Russia have been fruitless. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruitless 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fruitless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruytles, frutles, from fruyt, frut fruit entry 1 + -les -less

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fruitless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fruitless

Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruitless. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

fruitless

adjective
fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs How to pronounce fruitless (audio)
1
: not bearing fruit
2
: producing no good results : unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
fruitlessly adverb
fruitlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fruitless

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