as in uselessness
the quality or state of being useless
The two engaged in a long discussion on the futility of war. He felt saddened by the apparent futility of his efforts to console her.
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Recent Examples of futility
And DiCaprio has made a brilliant career of playing characters who try to do just that, and often wind up embodying the futility of that ethos.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2025
The first is to expose Hamas’s criminality and the futility of its terror, which has led to the annihilation of Gaza.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
The Angels lost, 7-6, to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night, falling to a team that for much of the year was on pace to break record for futility set by the Chicago White Sox last season.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
In the Enshittocene, trading utility for futility is a form of resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futility
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2025
The first is to expose Hamas’s criminality and the futility of its terror, which has led to the annihilation of Gaza.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
The Angels lost, 7-6, to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night, falling to a team that for much of the year was on pace to break record for futility set by the Chicago White Sox last season.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
In the Enshittocene, trading utility for futility is a form of resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futility
Noun
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Strangers became friends and friends became family in a crowd that has felt anger, despair and hopelessness before finally feeling some happiness.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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And in a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40% of American teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023, up from 30% in 2013.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mike Vrabel has blamed his squad’s ground ineffectiveness on his RB stable being too ball-security focused.—
Brad Evans,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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The evidence of its ineffectiveness and risks has led 23 states to pass legislation banning or limiting the use of conversion therapy for minors.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Brands that rely solely on AI risk not just irrelevance, but inefficacy.—
Sean DallasKidd,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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As research highlighted the inefficacy and unintended consequences of these laws, states rolled them back or modified them, mostly by partially repealing them or reducing the severity of mandatory sentences.—
John Leverso,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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If social media is any indication, lean bulking still commonly involves extreme dieting, which can lead to nutrition deficiencies, hormonal changes, eating disorders, and loss of muscle and bone density.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
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Use folic acid for general supplementation, pregnancy, or to prevent deficiency—unless your healthcare provider advises otherwise.—
Trang Tran,
Verywell Health,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futility. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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