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 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 Familiar grumbles began to sound from some corners of the Etihad crowd after another electric — but ultimately fruitless — individual display from Doku just before this international break. Thom Harris, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
  • But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.
    Nicole Acosta, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Min and Chris’ closest friends, Kelly Marie Tran’s Angela, a research scientist, and Lily Gladstone’s Lee, an Indigenous community organizer, have been struggling to conceive a child; Lee has just found out that her second round of IVF has been unsuccessful.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The list includes mostly barren Antarctic islands with no imports or exports. 0:51 President Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs impact friend and foe alike, but also on the list are uninhabited islands while some glaring omissions include Russia and Iran.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Another recommendation: Attacking Trump’s character, however abhorrent critics may find it, is futile.
    Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Regardless, returning him would be futile, said the president’s aides, as his ultimate fate would be imprisonment, in the United States or elsewhere.
    Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With two treatments, the capybaras should be sterile for at least a few months.
    Michael Nied, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The lower levels of the parking garage are sterile and lifeless — a liminal space of flickering lights and zero cars.
    Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Once the borer has entered the stem, insecticides are useless.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Though small, the defect made the telescope mostly useless to astronomers.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But his administration’s efforts, so far, have been unfruitful.
    Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
  • After a brief and unfruitful stint as a scout for the major league Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1970s, Uecker moved to the radio booth.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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