1
: unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
2
: lacking or not bearing fruit
fruitlessly
adverb
fruitlessness
noun
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
Coming off the most fruitless hiring cycle in terms of diversity the league has experienced in years, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered few solutions when asked about the matter at his annual state of the league Super Bowl news conference on Monday.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
As a result, there’s less clutter around the room by way of remotes and menus (although a hunt for what would’ve been a handy phone charger proved fruitless as well).
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
When a search for a suitable replacement proved fruitless, Winston sent a video to the former Daily Show host urging him to host one last time.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Minnesota made a fruitless push only to end up down 2-0 after one period when a blind pass along the end boards was intercepted by the Blackhawks and zipped past Wallstedt for an unassisted goal.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
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Mike Jones, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
As a result, there’s less clutter around the room by way of remotes and menus (although a hunt for what would’ve been a handy phone charger proved fruitless as well).
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
When a search for a suitable replacement proved fruitless, Winston sent a video to the former Daily Show host urging him to host one last time.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Minnesota made a fruitless push only to end up down 2-0 after one period when a blind pass along the end boards was intercepted by the Blackhawks and zipped past Wallstedt for an unassisted goal.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruitless. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fruitless
adjective
fruit·less
ˈfrüt-ləs 
1
: not bearing fruit
2
: producing no good results : unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
fruitlessly
adverb
fruitlessness
noun
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