FUTILITY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

futility

noun

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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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of futility Clearly, many boys are struggling with a sense of futility. —

Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 Before this year’s telecast, that movie’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson, had set a record in futility by racking up 11 Oscar nominations without a win, said Sam Adams in Slate. —

The Week Us, TheWeek, 23 Mar. 2026 Despite their historical futility – the Sabres are tied with the Vancouver Canucks as the oldest franchises to never win the Stanley Cup title and the Mammoth-Coyotes-Winnipeg Jets continuum would be right on their heels – Buffalo and Utah have been serious competitors this season. —

Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 20 Mar. 2026 But eventually, nonstop quips give way to subtle observations on class, power, and, particularly during its second season, when Killface and Crews run opposing campaigns for president, the futility of electoral politics. —

Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for futility

Recent Examples of Synonyms for futility

Noun

The fear of uselessness explains why the banker Eric Tao (Ken Leung) leaves a cushy retirement to get back to finance, even at the cost of neglecting his kids.

— Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Holding back tears, Marta called out the uselessness of comparing this season to last year’s championship run.

— Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025