FUTILE Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'futile' different from other adjectives like it?

The words fruitless and vain are common synonyms of futile . While all three words mean "producing no result," futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking. // resistance had proved so futile that surrender was the only choice left

Q: How do 'fruitless' and 'vain' relate to one another, in the sense of 'futile'?

Fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment. // fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

Q: When could 'vain' be used to replace 'futile'?

The words vain and futile 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

futile

adjective

ˈfyü-tᵊl

Definition of futile next

as in unsuccessful

producing no results the prison is so well guarded that all attempts to escape have been futile

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in silly

lacking in seriousness or maturity the futile chatter of gossip columnists about the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

The words fruitless and vain are common synonyms of futile. While all three words mean "producing no result," futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

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

How do fruitless and vain relate to one another, in the sense of futile?

Fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

When could vain be used to replace futile?

The words vain and futile 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 futile These findings don’t mean weight loss is futile; even short-term weight loss correlates with improvements in metabolic health. —

Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026 Amazing tools that cannot reach the patients who need them are futile. —

Daniel Torrent, STAT, 25 Feb. 2026 This defeatist thinking is misguided and assumes action will be futile. —

Jim Costa, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026 All throughout the film, there are images of terrible things being done to other creatures, as if to express the humans’ futile attempts to tamp down their natural urges. —

Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for futile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for futile

Adjective

Multiple attempts to reach the property owner were unsuccessful.

— Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
There is some hope within the organization that Blackburn can follow a path similar to the one that Luke Weaver took, as the ex-Yank transitioned from an unsuccessful starter to a high-leverage reliever while making relatively little money with the team.

— Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026