futilely

English

Etymology

futile +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈfju.təl.li/, /ˈfju.tə.li/, /ˈfju.taɪl.li/

Adverb

futilely (comparative more futilely, superlative most futilely)

1. In a futile manner.
   • 1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., 1918 September, →OCLC:

     My fingers clawed futilely at the unyielding portal, while my eyes sought in vain for a duplicate of the button which had given us ingress.

References

• “futilely”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.