pointless

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adjective point·less \ ˈpȯint-ləs \

Definition of pointless

1 :devoid of meaning :senseless

a pointless remark

2 :devoid of effectiveness :flat

pointless attempts to be funny

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pointlessly

adverb

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pointlessness

noun

See pointless defined for English-language learners

See pointless defined for kids

Examples of pointless in a Sentence

It would be pointless for us to continue the investigation.
a pointless remark that left everyone scratching their heads in confusion

Recent Examples of pointless from the Web

Dinner sees a traffic jam of rolling carts parked tableside for various bits of stage business, some of which are pointless.

— pete wells, New York Times, "The Grill Is Confident, Theatrical, Sharp and New Yorky," 22 Aug. 2017
To tell the truth in such situations would be devastating and pointless.

— Vanity Fair, "Ricky Gervais Answers the Proust Questionnaire," 17 Aug. 2017
Auto parts seller Mitch Aguon, 51, spent his day off fishing and said preparation was pointless.

— reuters, Fortune, "Guam Residents Grapple With North Korean Missile Threat: ‘We Get Just 14 Minutes’," 12 Aug. 2017
But my favorite thing about the series, and especially its sixth-season finale, is how pointless that ongoing conflict has become as the closing episodes draw closer.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "How Will the Game of Thrones Be Won?," 14 July 2017
In 2014 Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said there would be no enlargement during his five-year term, a pointless gesture that weakened the hands of Balkan reformers.

— The Economist, "CharlemagneThe EU must show the Balkans they still have a chance of joining," 13 July 2017
Trump Jr.’s emphasis on the fact that his meeting with Veselnitskaya was glaringly, frustratingly pointless misses the overarching point at hand, presumably on purpose.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Another Piece of Donny Jr.’s Russia Story Falls Apart," 11 July 2017
Their coffers were dry; a lawsuit seemed pointless.

— brian burnsed, SI.com, "Away from the NFL spotlight, financial ruin drove Clinton Portis to the brink of murder," 28 June 2017
My time doesn't get hijacked by pointless meetings.

— steve griggs, Fortune, "4 Reasons You Should Consider Being Your Own Boss," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pointless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pointless

1582

pointless Synonyms

Synonyms

empty, inane, meaningless, senseless

Antonyms

meaningful, significant

Related Words

frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; absurd, asinine, balmy, brainless, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dotty, empty-headed, fatuous, foolish, half-witted, harebrained, insane, jerky, kooky (also kookie), loony (also looney), lunatic, mad, mindless, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, silly, simpleminded, stupid, tomfool, unintelligent, unwise, wacky (also whacky), weak-minded, witless, zany; irrational, unreasonable; aimless, haphazard, purposeless

Near Antonyms

eloquent, expressive, pregnant, revealing, suggestive, telling; logical, rational, reasonable, valid; consequential, eventful, important, key, major, momentous, substantial, weighty

POINTLESS Defined for English Language Learners

pointless

play

adjective

Definition of pointless for English Language Learners

: having no meaning, purpose, or effect

POINTLESS Defined for Kids

pointless

play

adjective point·less \ ˈpȯint-ləs \

Definition of pointless for Students

:having no meaning or purpose

a pointless story

pointless attempts

Learn More about pointless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pointless Spanish Central: Translation of pointless Nglish: Translation of pointless for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pointless for Arabic speakers

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Examples of pointless in a Sentence

Recent Examples of pointless from the Web

First Known Use of pointless

pointless Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

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POINTLESS Defined for English Language Learners

pointless

Definition of pointless for English Language Learners

POINTLESS Defined for Kids

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