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
The Rockies’ brass, however, doesn’t believe the future is futile.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The defense forced six turnovers – three fumbles and three interceptions, including the second of the game by Jamal Abdelkarim that ended Irvine’s futile final drive with 23 seconds remaining at midfield.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
Football fans understandably want to see wingers who thrill by taking on defenders, but if there’s nobody there to cross to, their work is futile.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Any attempt to be quiet would be futile.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The defense forced six turnovers – three fumbles and three interceptions, including the second of the game by Jamal Abdelkarim that ended Irvine’s futile final drive with 23 seconds remaining at midfield.
—Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
Football fans understandably want to see wingers who thrill by taking on defenders, but if there’s nobody there to cross to, their work is futile.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Any attempt to be quiet would be futile.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futile
Adjective
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The new complaint was filed 20 years after Burrowes first claimed in an unsuccessful civil case that Combs may have put out a hit on Shakur and Knight.—
Gina Barton,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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All have been unsuccessful due to his status as a suspect in multiple violent crimes.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many kids find repeating these phrases satisfying, or silly, or just plain fun to say, Estevez says.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
8 Sep. 2025
-
There are no silly games being played.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This method is a significant departure from traditional chemical recycling techniques like pyrolysis, which operate at lower temperatures (450–600°C) and produce over a hundred different by-products, many of which are useless.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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Economists usually look at new jobs, but immigration is now very low, making that figure useless as a measure of how the economy is doing.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Hope Anne is goofy, affectionate, full of zest, and has so much love to give.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
2 Sep. 2025
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Gangly giraffes punctuated the grasslands like goofy exclamation points.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Today's talkers Travis Kelce is giddy.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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The result is a sturdy uptrend, full valuations, hopeful but not overly giddy investor sentiment and solid credit conditions.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Futile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futile. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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