futile

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++fu·tile /ˈfjuːtaɪl $ -tl/ adjective POINTLESSactions that are futile are useless because they have no chance of being successful 无用的；徒劳的 SYN pointless OPP worthwhilea futile attempt/effort a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames 试图将那些画从大火中抢救出来的徒劳之举 My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile. 我努力想再次入睡，但怎么也睡不着。it is futile to do something It was futile to continue the negotiations. 继续谈判下去也是枉然。 —futility /fjuːˈtɪləti/ noun [uncountable] This sums up Owen’s thoughts on the futility of war. 这就是欧文的战争无益思想。

Examples from the Corpus

futile• All efforts to save the child proved futile.• Until attitudes at work are changed, attempts to improve performance are likely to prove futile.• But a sense of apathy arises from the feeling that life is pointless and futile.• It was all so sad, so depressing, so futile.• The attempt to change his mind proved futile.• Demonstrators condemned the summit as a futile and fruitless exercise.• Kevin made one last futile attempt to persuade Sandra to go with him, then left.• The goal is not to punish the rebels, but to convince them that it is futile to resist.• The point to recognize is, of course, that it is futile to waste time classifying studies into neat little boxes.a futile attempt/effort• These are the remains of unfortunate wretches driven to kill themselves in a futile attempt to escape the torments of the Castle.• They showed no qualms in spending £3 billion in a futile attempt to prop up the Pound.• Sundays he slept even later than usual, in a futile effort to avoid the day.• Minutes later a team of paramedics began a futile effort to revive the boy.Origin futile (1500-1600) Latin futilis “that pours out easily, useless”

fu·tile adjectiveChineseSyllable

futile they that Corpus are useless because actions are

futile
fu‧tile /ˈfjuːtaɪl $ -tl/

adjective

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: futilis 'that pours out easily, useless'

actions that are futile are useless because they have no chance of being successful
   SYN pointless
   OPP worthwhile
    a futile attempt/effort

a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames

My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile.
it is futile to do something

It was futile to continue the negotiations.
—futility /fjuːˈtɪləti, fjuːˈtɪlɪti/ noun [uncountable]:

This sums up Owen’s thoughts on the futility of war.

THESAURUS

   ▪ pointless not likely to have a useful result: She knew it would be pointless to argue with him. | The meeting was a pointless exercise.
   ▪ futile completely pointless because there is no chance at all of being successful: She shut the door in a futile attempt to keep the smell out. | Their efforts proved futile (=did not have any success).
   ▪ useless not useful or effective in any way: I knew it was useless to try to explain to him what had happened. | The map we had been given was useless.
   ▪ hopeless having no hope of being successful or effective: It was a hopeless task. | He was jumping up and down in a hopeless attempt to keep warm.
   ▪ be a waste of time/money/effort to be not worth the time, money etc that you use because you do not achieve anything: The whole process was a complete waste of time. | The scheme was a waste of money.

fu·tile

BrE

/ˈfjuːtaɪl/

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NAmE

/ˈfjuːtl/

🔊

adjective