having no purpose because there is no chance of success synonym pointless a futile attempt/exercise/gesture Their efforts to revive him were futile. It would be futile to protest. My appeal proved futile.
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NAmE//ˈfyut̮l̩i//
adverb NAmE//fyuˈtɪlət̮i//
noun [uncountable] a sense of futility the futility of warSee futile in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: futile