futile

Meanings

• Adjective

  Having no effect; pointless or fruitless.

  - "His efforts to save the drowning man were futile."
  - "The doctor gave up all hope for a futile patient."

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Antonyms

effective , effectual

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Synonyms

useless

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with futile
vile , pile , smile , file

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Variants

List of all variants of futile that leads to same result
futile , futilely , futileness , futilenesses

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

Originally meaning 'devoid of utility,' from the Latin word 'futilis' which means 'unprofitable' or 'unproductive'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'futile' is derived from the Latin word 'futilis', which means 'unprofitable' or 'unproductive'.

2. The term 'futile' was first used in English in the late 15th century.

3. The opposite of 'futile' is 'fruitful'.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. Hopelessness: A feeling of despair and lack of motivation or belief that things can improve.

2. Useless: Not having any useful purpose or value.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. In some "futile" bid for gentility, the management has barred employees from using the front door, so my first day I enter through the kitchen …

   - Barbara Ehrenreich,{it}Harper's{/it},January 1999

2. In a digitized land of national ID cards, dropping out will be impossible, and dreaming about it will be "futile."

   - Walter Kirn,{it}Atlantic{/it},May 2002

3. After Redemption and disfranchisement destroyed black political influence, open challenges to white supremacy were "futile" and dangerous.

   - Adam Fairclough,{it}Journal of American History{/it},June 2000

4. In 1845 explorer Charles Sturt led an expedition through these parts on a "futile" search for an inland sea.

   - Thomas O'Neill,{it}National Geographic{/it},April 1997

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

The word 'futile' has been used extensively in literature and art to depict the sense of despair and hopelessness. In Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov,' the character Raskolnikov contemplates the futility of human existence.

How to Memorize "futile"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a situation where your actions have no impact or result in nothing.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'futile' with the image of a broken machine or a dead end.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic by remembering that 'futile' starts with the letter 'f' and has the same number of letters as the word 'useless'.

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