futile

English

Etymology

From Latin fūtilis.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈfjuː.taɪ.əl/
• (US) IPA: /ˈfju.taɪ.əl/, /ˈfju.təl/
• Rhymes: -uːtəl (US)

Adjective

futile (comparative more futile, superlative most futile)

1. Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.
   • 2011 December 15, Marc Higginson, “Shamrock Rovers 0 - 4 Tottenham”, BBC Sport:

     Goals from Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane sealed the win, but Rubin Kazan's 1-1 draw against PAOK Salonika rendered Spurs' efforts futile.

Synonyms

• ineffectual
• unavailing
• vain
• idle
• fruitless
• See also Wikisaurus:futile

Antonyms

• effectual
• effective

Related terms

• futility
• futilitarian

Translations

incapable of producing results

Czech: bezvýsledný (cs) Danish: nytteløs (da) Dutch: nutteloos (nl) Finnish: turha, tulokseton, toivoton French: futile (fr) Georgian: ფუჭი (ka) ('pu'tchi) German: sinnlos (de) Greek: μάταιος (el) (mátaios)

Italian: futile (it) Navajo: chʼééh Persian: پوچ ,بى فايده ,عبث (fa) Polish: daremny (pl) m. Russian: бесполезный (ru), бесплодный (ru) Spanish: inútil (es) Swedish: meningslös (sv), lönlös (sv), fåfäng (sv)

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

futile (epicene, plural futiles)

1. futile

Related terms

• futilité

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Italian

Adjective

futile m. and f. (m and f plural futili)

1. futile

Related terms

• futilità

Anagrams

• fluite

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Latin

Adjective

fūtile

1. nominative neuter singular of fūtilis
2. accusative neuter singular of fūtilis
3. vocative neuter singular of fūtilis