pointless
adjective
point·less
ˈpȯint-ləs 
1
: devoid of meaning : senseless
a pointless remark
2
: devoid of effectiveness : flat
pointless attempts to be funny
pointlessly
adverb
pointlessness
noun
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 on the Web
That this may be the only way to avoid another chaotic, pointless speaker fight is ultimately commentary on the quality of a fraction of the GOP backbench, not of the leadership.
—
The Editors, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024
Rather than preemptively banning certain uses of AI or getting lost in pointless debates around existential risks, the U.K.’s AI regulatory proposals aim to develop guardrails and best practices in areas such as transparency, human oversight, and ethical considerations.
—Victor Riparbelli, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Most are pointless wallows in the suffering of others, real or fictional.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
That struck some of the artists and supporters as a pointless waste of funds better spent at ground level in a city where the number of homeless people had surged to nearly 50,000 by 2023.
—Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
With a smell so enveloping, rolling up his windows felt pointless.
—Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
Hitler is so fully imagined a subject—so obsessively present on our televisions and in our bookstores—that to reimagine him seems pointless.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
In the weeks and months after that costly, pointless election, lawmakers in Sacramento considered ways to overhaul the recall process, which has aged poorly since its conception more than a century ago.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
Checking the weather forecast was pointless: rain could appear — or disappear — at any moment.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 22 Apr. 2024
Rather than preemptively banning certain uses of AI or getting lost in pointless debates around existential risks, the U.K.’s AI regulatory proposals aim to develop guardrails and best practices in areas such as transparency, human oversight, and ethical considerations.
—Victor Riparbelli, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Most are pointless wallows in the suffering of others, real or fictional.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
That struck some of the artists and supporters as a pointless waste of funds better spent at ground level in a city where the number of homeless people had surged to nearly 50,000 by 2023.
—Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024
With a smell so enveloping, rolling up his windows felt pointless.
—Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
Hitler is so fully imagined a subject—so obsessively present on our televisions and in our bookstores—that to reimagine him seems pointless.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
In the weeks and months after that costly, pointless election, lawmakers in Sacramento considered ways to overhaul the recall process, which has aged poorly since its conception more than a century ago.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
Checking the weather forecast was pointless: rain could appear — or disappear — at any moment.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pointless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to pointless
Dictionary Entries Near pointless
Cite this Entry
“Pointless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pointless. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pointless
adjective
point·less
ˈpȯint-ləs
1
: lacking meaning : senseless
a pointless remark
2
: ineffective sense 1
pointless attempts to be funny
pointlessly
adverb
pointlessness
noun
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