Word Study
futile
CIDE DICTIONARY
futile, a. [L. futilis that easily pours out, that easily lets loose, vain, worthless, from the root of fundere to pour out: cf. F. futile. See Fuse, v. t. ].
- Talkative; loquacious; tattling. [1913 Webster]"Talkers and futile persons." [1913 Webster]
- Of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain; worthless. I. Taylor. [1913 Webster]"His reasoning . . . was singularly futile." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
futile, adj.
1 useless, ineffectual, vain.
2 frivolous, trifling.
1 useless, ineffectual, vain.
2 frivolous, trifling.
Derivative
futilely adv. futility n.
Etymology
L futilis leaky, futile, rel. to fundere pour
THESAURUS
futile
abortive, absurd, airy, apish, asinine, bad, barren, batty, befooled, beguiled, besotted, bootless, brainless, buffoonish, catchpenny, cockeyed, counterproductive, crazy, credulous, daffy, daft, dazed, dizzy, doomed, doting, dumb, effete, empty, etiolated, failed, failing, fatuitous, fatuous, feckless, flaky, flimsy, fond, fool, foolheaded, foolish, foredoomed, fribble, fribbling, frivolous, frothy, fruitless, fuddled, gaga, goofy, gulled, hollow, idiotic, idle, ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-suited, ill-timed, imbecile, impolitic, impotent, improper, in vain, inadequate, inadvisable, inane, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, inept, inexpedient, infatuated, infelicitous, inoperative, inopportune, insane, insufficient, invalid, kooky, lame, light, loony, mad, mal a propos, malapropos, manque, maudlin, miscarried, miscarrying, moronic, nugacious, nugatory, nutty, of no effect, of no force, otiose, out of place, profitless, sappy, screwy, senseless, sentimental, shallow, silly, slender, slight, sterile, stickit, stillborn, stupid, successless, superficial, thoughtless, trifling, trite, trivial, unavailable, unavailing, unbefitting, undesirable, unfit, unfitting, unfortunate, unhappy, unmeet, unproductive, unprofitable, unsatisfactory, unseasonable, unseemly, unsuccessful, unsuitable, untimely, unwise, useless, vacuous, vain, vapid, wacky, wet, windy, witless, worthless, wrongROGET THESAURUS
futile
Inutility
N inutility, uselessness, inefficacy, futility, ineptitude, inaptitude, unsubservience, inadequacy, inefficiency, unskillfulness, disservice, unfruitfulness (unproductiveness), labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus, lost trouble, lost labor, work of Penelope, sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce, tautology, supererogation, vanitas vanitatum, vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity, triviality, caput mortuum, waste paper, dead letter, blunt tool, litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes, button top, shoddy, rags, orts, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings, waste, rubble, debris, detritus, stubble, leavings, broken meat, dregs, weeds, tares, rubbish heap, dust hole, rudera, deads, fruges consumere natus, useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless, inoperative, inadequate, inservient, unsubservient, inept, inefficient, of no avail, ineffectual, incompetent, stale, flat and unprofitable, superfluous, dispensable, thrown away, abortive, worthless, valueless, priceless, unsalable, not worth a straw, dear at any price, vain, empty, inane, gainless, profitless, fruitless, unserviceable, unprofitable, ill-spent, unproductive, hors de combat, effete, past work, obsolete, fit for the dust hole, good for nothing, of no earthly use, not worth having, not worth powder and shot, leading to no end, uncalled for, unnecessary, unneeded, uselessly, to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose, Int, cui bono?, what's the good!, actum ne agas, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, tanto buon che val niente.For further exploring for "futile" in Webster Dictionary Online