Definition of fruitlessnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fruitless different from other adjectives like it?

The words futile and vain are common synonyms of fruitless. While all three words mean "producing no result," fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

When might futile be a better fit than fruitless?

The words futile and fruitless are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

resistance had proved so futile that surrender was the only choice left

When can vain be used instead of fruitless?

The words vain and fruitless can be used in similar contexts, but vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fruitless Gilead’s action became public at the end of March, when the international health organization Médicins Sans Frontières, or MSF, published an open letter detailing its fruitless yearlong effort to purchase a supply of lenacapavir from the company. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 After about two hours of fruitless searching, Espinoza took Horner to the Wise County Jail for an interview. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026 Discovered almost instantly, this latest raid in Kenner had proved brief and fruitless. Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Distraught, Helga begins a fruitless search for work. Nicky Marsh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
  • The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The child was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Azle, where additional lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • So is neighboring Idaho, home to a federal nuclear lab, and Utah, where Governor Spencer Cox recently staged a press conference in the barren scrubland west of Salt Lake City.
    Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 May 2026
  • Ground covers can suppress weeds, protect topsoil from erosion and drought, and fill empty gaps between stepping stones, pavers, and barren ground.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 May 2026
  • His father was a schoolteacher and a member of the Nazi Party; Baselitz, who was seven at the cessation of World War II, would later recall the smoke rising from firebombed Dresden as his mother hurried her children through the city in a futile attempt to escape the Russians.
    News Desk, Artforum, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • Notably, Bauhinia blakeana is a sterile hybrid, resulting from the cross-pollination of two different plant varieties.
    Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026
  • Adding a plant to your bathroom is the ultimate way to infuse some personality into this sometimes sterile space.
    Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Adjective
  • From certain side sections, the rear screen was nearly useless.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Technically impressive, yes—but scientifically and commercially useless.
    Magnus Resch, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • After an unfruitful weekend of bargaining, Natomas educators are preparing to strike Tuesday as district leaders ready themselves to keep schools open for around 17,000 students without classroom teachers.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The question of whether artificial intelligence is or can ever be conscious remains unclear, but that does not mean the investigations have so far proved unfruitful.
    Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 22 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

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