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
  • Though their efforts were futile, their remains provide remarkable insight into the doomed city’s final moments.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Through the two-hour journey that makes up the Thunderbolt’s origin story, the audience experiences the way these skilled fighters continue butting heads over the most futile issues.
    Malik Peay, Essence, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Recently, 26 previously unknown bacterial species were discovered in NASA clean rooms — some of the most sterile places humanity has built, designed to prevent spacecraft from carrying unwanted microbes to other planetary bodies.
    Andrew Jones, Space.com, 21 May 2025
  • Of long drives and sterile sheets, trapped in tiny spaces with your thoughts.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
  • Those strong starts are useless if the Celtics can’t hold onto the advantage.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 May 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 25 May. 2025.

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