fruitless

adjective

ˈfrüt-ləs How to pronounce fruitless (audio)
Definition of fruitlessnext
1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results this argument is totally fruitless, as neither of us will change our position

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
not able to produce fruit or offspring a stand of blighted, fruitless trees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fruitless different from other adjectives like it?

The words futile and vain are common synonyms of fruitless. While all three words mean "producing no result," fruitless comes close to vain but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment.

fruitless efforts to obtain a lasting peace

When might futile be a better fit than fruitless?

The words futile and fruitless are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, futile may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking.

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

When can vain be used instead of fruitless?

The words vain and fruitless can be used in similar contexts, but vain usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result.

a vain attempt to get the car started

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 fruitless Patients taken to court described baffling bills, confusing health plan rules, and frustrating and fruitless telephone calls to hospital billing offices and health insurers’ customer-service lines. — Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026 Confronted by a stubborn Mexican defense, the Koreans receded into a zigzag of impressive but somewhat fruitless passing. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026 Ellen Heronemus The bulk of the funding for wind power flowed to big aerospace firms and to NASA, financing an ultimately fruitless attempt to leap straight to megawatt-scale wind turbines. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026 The Iran war has distracted Washington from its largely fruitless effort to end the fighting in Ukraine, and Zelensky sought to engage with Trump at the G-7 gathering where key European leaders were also present. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
  1. unsuccessful
  2. barren
  3. futile
  4. sterile
  5. useless
  6. unfruitful
Adjective
  • Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • There are quite a few interesting options this summer, especially compared to last year’s barren goalie landscape that was headlined by veteran backups.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • These conditions had much higher fatality rates in 1776 because Americans had no antibiotics, few vaccines, no understanding of germ theory, no sterile surgical techniques and limited access to hospitals, experts note.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Officials will begin to release sterile male mosquitoes in Rosemont next week to reduce the spread of Aedes aegypti, a disease-carrying invasive mosquito, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced Wednesday.
    — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of sterile
Adjective
  • At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
  • An ultra-secure cloud environment is useless if the identity management policy is lax or if access privileges are not reviewed on a strict need-to-know basis.
    — Vicente Pava, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of useless
Adjective
  • Or that Salieri once masturbated over his beloved piano in an unfruitful attempt to cure his writer’s block.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
  • After an unfruitful weekend of bargaining, Natomas educators are preparing to strike Tuesday as district leaders ready themselves to keep schools open for around 17,000 students without classroom teachers.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of unfruitful

Browse Nearby Words

fruitions
fruitless
fruitlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fruitless

Nglish: Translation of fruitless for Spanish Speakers

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