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 Anfield Newcastle’s miserable and fruitless journeys to Anfield stretch back into the previous century. Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025 That said, those incursions into Florida territory proved fruitless, which probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Case in point: Jokić's heroic 61-point game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1 proved fruitless as Denver lost in double overtime to the playoff contender. Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025 But these efforts would be fruitless unless states enacted legislation exempting sports betting from their anti-gambling laws. Martin Edel, Sportico.com, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
  • Later that month, Kalyn Free, an attorney from Oklahoma who was unsuccessful in her bid for a vice chair position, filed a complaint alleging that the DNC improperly merged two separate questions into a single vote.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
  • Several attempts to establish at least a partial ceasefire have been unsuccessful.
    DASHA LITVINOVA, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
    Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
  • The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • These results, though significant, don’t necessarily mean that efforts to effectively mitigate deepfakes are futile.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?
    Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The idea was to drive down the mosquito population because eggs produced by a female after a romp with a sterile male don’t hatch.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
  • But the overall health system in Chad is fragile, and many Chadian women don't have access to a safe and sterile place to deliver.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • In one sense, Henry is the kind of useless man who creates hard times with his own passivity.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin Like many a controversial Y2K trend, the useless hip belt has made its way back into the sartorial zeitgeist with trendsetters like Emily Ratajkowski and Dua Lipa reviving the aesthetic in recent seasons.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • From Sonos’ side, this could just be a logical conclusion to a somewhat unfruitful partnership with mid-tier products that the brand itself increasingly competes directly with.
    Parker Hall, Wired News, 7 May 2025
  • But his administration’s efforts, so far, have been unfruitful.
    Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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