fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

2

: lacking or not bearing fruit

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun

Synonyms of fruitless

• unsuccessful
• futile
• useless

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

Arena workers spent more than an hour attempting to mop condensation off the court, an ultimately fruitless endeavor due to the unassailable humidity inside the stadium. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

This play ends fruitless with no points. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026

Navigating the city’s shelter system alone can be dispiriting and fruitless. —Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026

In another world, the Spaniard would likely be the favourite for this job despite his ultimately fruitless time at Arsenal. —Peter South, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for fruitless

• bootless
• rootless

Kids Definition

fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: not bearing fruit

2

: producing no good results : unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun