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
The first attempt of tech analyst Avi Greengart, president of Techsponential, to try out Ray-Ban Display turned into a fruitless retail odyssey across northern New Jersey.
—
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
Over Washington and Havana’s largely fruitless attempts at diplomacy during the Cold War, both parties considered the base as a bargaining chip of sorts, a leverage to pull in the interest of military de-escalation or possible normalization of diplomatic relations.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Imagine if the federal government sent hundreds of engineers, or teachers, or outreach workers to Portland, instead of a short, expensive, and fruitless show of force.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
However, Arsenal’s five corners in the first half were fruitless, so, instead of continuing with this routine, Arteta’s side changed their strategy after the break.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
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Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
Over Washington and Havana’s largely fruitless attempts at diplomacy during the Cold War, both parties considered the base as a bargaining chip of sorts, a leverage to pull in the interest of military de-escalation or possible normalization of diplomatic relations.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Imagine if the federal government sent hundreds of engineers, or teachers, or outreach workers to Portland, instead of a short, expensive, and fruitless show of force.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
However, Arsenal’s five corners in the first half were fruitless, so, instead of continuing with this routine, Arteta’s side changed their strategy after the break.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruitless. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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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