Definition of fruitlessnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fruitless different from other adjectives like it?

The words futile and vain are common synonyms of fruitless. While all three words mean "producing no result," fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

When might futile be a better fit than fruitless?

The words futile and fruitless are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

resistance had proved so futile that surrender was the only choice left

When can vain be used instead of fruitless?

The words vain and fruitless can be used in similar contexts, but vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fruitless The idea of pushing for change in static news organizations from within seem fruitless. James Folta, Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026 Giddey gathered the ball and inbounded it to make another fruitless attempt to chip away at a double-digit deficit. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026 But those efforts so far have been fruitless. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026 After two fruitless Ducks power plays in the opening minutes, Makar put the Avs ahead from the slot with his 18th goal. ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
  • Such a vote — which is bound to fail but would put senators on the record — differs from using a simple majority to change the Senate rules, a vote a senator could force after an unsuccessful vote to break a filibuster.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • After numerous rounds of antibiotics were unsuccessful, a decision was made to euthanize her, according to the zoo.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • For one thing, the landscape is barren, the trees have yet to blossom and the lawns are all brown.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • James Walker Tufts, the Boston soda entrepreneur and philanthropist, surely sensed it while traveling through the area at the end of the 19th century, prompting him to buy 5,800 acres in the Sandhills that had been left barren by lumber harvesting.
    Caleb Silver, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Even with the spotlight, Méndez said the debate feels futile.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Even subtle futile cycles – processes in which molecules are repeatedly built and broken down – consume energy and generate heat.
    Claudio Villanueva, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Lord and Miller, working with the cinematographer Greig Fraser, avoid the conventional visual language of the prestige space epic, with its sterile surfaces and zero-gravity tracking shots.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Use a good quality sterile seed starting mix and clean seed starting trays with deep cells that allow for strong root development.
    Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Five-day forecasts are virtually useless, as is our comfort level that the very worst of winter is behind us.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • The screenplay also has a passing reference to Evy’s useless, off-screen boyfriend Darren (voiced by Ryan Turner).
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • After an unfruitful weekend of bargaining, Natomas educators are preparing to strike Tuesday as district leaders ready themselves to keep schools open for around 17,000 students without classroom teachers.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The question of whether artificial intelligence is or can ever be conscious remains unclear, but that does not mean the investigations have so far proved unfruitful.
    Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 22 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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