adjective
futile
FYOO-tyl
adjective
1
Producing no useful result; pointless or doomed to fail.
"It was futile to argue with him once he'd made up his mind."
"Their attempts to stop the flooding proved futile."
How to Use Futile
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoomed not to work — trying anyway won't change the outcome.
Common mistake
Don't mix up with fertile (able to produce or grow things) — the words look and sound similar but mean opposite kinds of things.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a futile attempt
futile effort
prove futile
Word Forms
more futile comparative, most futile superlative
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It was _____ to argue with him once he'd made up his mind.
Etymology
From Middle French futile, from Latin fūtilis, "leaky, worthless."