as in uselessness
the quality or state of being useless
The two engaged in a long discussion on the futility of war. He felt saddened by the apparent futility of his efforts to console her.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 futility
These Ducks, who also made significant roster investments, are now running neck-and-neck with the abject futility of even the Dallas Eakins era.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
But the Bulls also can’t win with his current rim protection — a futility that hangs over the veteran in every game.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the fire had been a sign, the universe trying to teach me about the impermanence of objects and the futility of collecting.
—Kenneth Turan, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
In 2025, without Puig, the only records the Galaxy set were for futility, starting the season winless in their first 16 league matches and finishing with just seven wins, a franchise low for a full season.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for futility
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
But the Bulls also can’t win with his current rim protection — a futility that hangs over the veteran in every game.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the fire had been a sign, the universe trying to teach me about the impermanence of objects and the futility of collecting.
—Kenneth Turan, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
In 2025, without Puig, the only records the Galaxy set were for futility, starting the season winless in their first 16 league matches and finishing with just seven wins, a franchise low for a full season.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for futility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futility
Noun
-
Holding back tears, Marta called out the uselessness of comparing this season to last year’s championship run.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
His motion veered between expressions of hopelessness and elaborate proposals for prisoner exchanges.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The American intelligence community has long known that insurgent groups—many of which openly seek the destruction of the United States—rely on desperation, food insecurity, and hopelessness to gain recruits.—
Hana Kiros,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Cubs know how important pitcher depth becomes in the postseason after injuries and ineffectiveness compromised their starter options in October.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The state’s policy ineffectiveness is just as troubling.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Theory 1 is that the Party has reached such a crisis of inefficacy in the Trump era that most things about it—its experienced personnel, its hydraulics of strategy and power—should be sold for scrap and rebuilt from the charismatic left.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Brands that rely solely on AI risk not just irrelevance, but inefficacy.—
Sean DallasKidd,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But one series with four minutes remaining highlighted the fruitlessness of this effort.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No vitamin D deficiency around here.—
Becky Bartkowski,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
High-impact sports can also destroy red blood cells, leading to iron deficiency anemia, while some athletes might also lose blood through their gastrointestinal tract, Hew-Butler says.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futility. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
