fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

2

: lacking or not bearing fruit

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun

Synonyms

• abortive
• barren
• bootless
• empty
• futile
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inefficacious
• otiose
• profitless
• unavailing
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unsuccessful
• useless
• vain

Choose the Right Synonym for fruitless

futile, vain, fruitless mean producing no result.

futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

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

vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

Examples of fruitless in a Sentence

They made a fruitless attempt to find a solution.

It would be fruitless to continue.

Recent Examples on the Web

But most of those conversations have been fruitless in the early weeks of the network’s introduction to the market. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2024

Previous efforts by the brothers and their attorneys to cut short their incarceration have been fruitless, but a new writ of habeas corpus citing new evidence is being considered by Dist. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

When investors woke up this morning, the continuing story of a fruitless AI spending splurge looked set to ensure that markets ended the week on a down note. —Pete Gannon, Axios, 2 Aug. 2024

The damage was done; my offers to give him more time or to choose for him were fruitless. —Sheeka Sanahori, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruytles, frutles, from fruyt, frut fruit entry 1 + -les -less

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fruitless

adjective

fruit·​less ˈfrüt-ləs 

1

: not bearing fruit

2

: producing no good results : unsuccessful

a fruitless attempt

fruitlessly adverb

fruitlessness noun