1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
the prison is so well guarded that all attempts to escape have been futile
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the futile chatter of gossip columnists about the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of futile
This advocacy, however, proved futile.
—
Time, 20 Oct. 2025
False accusations cannot be rebutted, and any attempt to secure compensation or correction through the courts is futile; no open debate is allowed in the domain of thought and art.
—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Back in the Capitol a short time later, Johnson told reporters that such a bill would be futile because Senate Democrats wouldn’t support it.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 9 Oct. 2025
While some fans defended Jones, arguing that the defense was told to let the Jaguars score to give Patrick Mahomes and the offense more time to respond, banking on less than 30 seconds to tie the game proved futile to the Chiefs, who fell to 2-3 on the season.
—Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Time, 20 Oct. 2025
False accusations cannot be rebutted, and any attempt to secure compensation or correction through the courts is futile; no open debate is allowed in the domain of thought and art.
—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Back in the Capitol a short time later, Johnson told reporters that such a bill would be futile because Senate Democrats wouldn’t support it.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 9 Oct. 2025
While some fans defended Jones, arguing that the defense was told to let the Jaguars score to give Patrick Mahomes and the offense more time to respond, banking on less than 30 seconds to tie the game proved futile to the Chiefs, who fell to 2-3 on the season.
—Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futile
Adjective
-
Barkan’s was one of several unsuccessful progressive campaigns Mamdani worked on before getting a job as a foreclosure prevention counselor at a nonprofit.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
There have been a handful of topping bids this year, including an unsuccessful attempt by hedge fund Alden Global to beat out Hearst in its deal for the Dallas Morning News.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In the picture, Diplo makes a silly face while Trudeau stares straight into the camera.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
3 Nov. 2025
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This fourth installment finds plenty to mine from Jigsaw and his diabolical traps — and yes, that silly tricycle-riding clown gets some screen time.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Sarah has a useless husband and a useless job.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Lavin bought hard copies of the AI knockoffs of her book, and wasn’t surprised to find that each was useless in its own way.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As Buffy’s bafoonish brother, Dave Sheridan played an unlikely killer (though Doofy ends up being far less goofy than originally expected).—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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The accompanying video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, fittingly harkens back to videos of the same era, as Puth embarks on a goofy adventure through a pre-digital world filled with charming claymation figurines and old-school stop motion effects.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Helm rises too, goes as high as possible, gets a little giddy (there are upper limits to Helm’s domain).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The overall impact leaves even a coffee utilitarian like me giddy.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Futile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futile. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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