fruitlessness

noun

as in barrenness

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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 fruitlessness But one series with four minutes remaining highlighted the fruitlessness of this effort. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitlessness
  1. barrenness
  2. ineffectiveness
  3. unprofitability
  4. ineffectuality
  5. vanity
  6. inefficacy
  7. emptiness
  8. hopelessness
Noun
  • But many assumptions that Stratos’ investors or Utah politicians might have had about Box Elder County – about either the acquiescence of its people or the barrenness of its landscape – have been proved wrong over the past few months.
    — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Shunammite, once so determined to get her period, is staring down the possibility of barrenness and, in Gilead, that means spinsterhood.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Definition of barrenness
Noun
  • The biggest discrepancy for Cruz this season compared to his breakout 2025 campaign is the ineffectiveness of his four-seamer.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The states argue that Meta withheld relevant information from users and parents, who might have benefited from knowing the ineffectiveness of the feature and others like it, constituting a violation of consumer protection laws.
    — John Ruwitch, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of ineffectiveness
Noun
  • However, ​entrepreneurs who take a more conservative growth approach with their startups are less likely to align with investors who have a low tolerance for prolonged unprofitability.
    — Richard Ceffalio, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In those cases, unprofitability was as much the story as safety, if not more.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Definition of unprofitability
Noun
  • Caroline’s anguish and her ineffectuality at making progress in finding Gabriel make for some frustrating moments as a reader.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of ineffectuality
Noun
  • Tie Measurement To Real Business Results One of the best ways to protect your ad spend is to focus on outcomes, not vanity metrics.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • This is quite compact and contains a walk-in shower, a flushing toilet, and a vanity sink.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • The impunity of the powerful was measured by the inefficacy of the outraged.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
  • When on day five of his mayoralty Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the inefficacy of homeless sweeps and avowed to end them, street homeless adults, advocates, and attorneys rejoiced.
    — Deborah Berkman, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of inefficacy
Noun
  • Markets have seen through the emptiness of Bessent’s remedy, as ‘bond vigilantes’ have driven bond yields even higher despite Bessent’s band-aids.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Drugs ravaged the streets, leaving needles and even more emptiness in their wake.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • In the context of suicide, hopelessness can look like acceptance at the end.
    — Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
  • These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hopelessness

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fruitless
fruitlessness
fruits
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Cite this Entry

“Fruitlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitlessness. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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