fu´tile|ness

fu´tile|ness
fu|tile «FYOO tuhl», adjective.
1. not successful; useless; vain: »

He fell down after making futile attempts to keep his balance. Many people have made futile attempts to swim from England to France. An instance of futile classicism…is the conventional spelling of the English language (Thorstein Veblen).

 SYNONYM(S): ineffectual, profitless. See syn. under vain. (Cf. ↑vain)
2. not important; trifling: »

futile tasks.

SYNONYM(S): frivolous, idle, trivial.
3. occupied with things of no value or importance; addicted to trifling; lacking in purpose: »

a futile life.

╂[< Latin fūtilis pouring easily; worthless < fundere to pour]
–fu´tile|ly, adverb.
–fu´tile|ness, noun.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • duc´tile|ness — duc|tile «DUHK tuhl», adjective. 1. that can be hammered out thin or drawn out into a wire; malleable: »The chief ductile metals are copper, iron, brass, platinum, gold, silver, and aluminum (Walter R. Williams, Jr.). 2. easily molded or shaped;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • fer´tile|ness — fer|tile «FUR tuhl», adjective. 1. able to produce seeds, fruit, young, etc.: »a fertile animal or plant. 2. able to develop into a new individual; fertilized: »Chicks hatch from fertile eggs. 3. a) able to produce much; producing crops easily;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • sub´tile|ness — sub|tile «SUHB uhl, SUHB tuhl», adjective. 1. not dense or heavy; thin; delicate; rare: »a subtile liquid, a subtile fabric, a subtile powder. Figurative. after living…within the subtile influence of an intellect like Emerson s (Hawthorne). 2.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ver´sa|tile|ness — ver|sa|tile «VUR suh tuhl», adjective. 1. able to do many things well: »Theodore Roosevelt was a versatile man; he was successful as a statesman, soldier, sportsman, explorer, and author. SYNONYM(S): many sided. 2. Zoology. a) turning forw …   Useful english dictionary

  • vol´a|tile|ness — vol|a|tile «VOL uh tuhl», adjective, noun. –adj. 1. evaporating rapidly at ordinary temperatures; changing into vapor easily: »Gasoline is volatile. 2. Figurative. changing rapidly from one mood or interest to another; fickle; frivolous: »He has… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ness — ness·ber·ry; ness·ler·iza·tion; ness·ler·ize; ness·ler s; new·fan·gled·ness; new·ness; news·i·ness; nice·ness; nig·gard·li·ness; nig·gard·ness; nigh·ness; nip·pi·ness; no·ble·ness; nois·i·ness; non·cha·lant·ness; north·er·li·ness; north·ness;… …   English syllables

  • tile — bis·sex·tile; cas·tile; cen·tile; chrys·o·tile; coc·tile; co·le·op·tile; duc·tile; duc·tile·ly; erec·tile; ex·sec·tile; ex·ser·tile; fer·tile; fer·tile·ly; fer·tile·ness; flu·vi·a·tile; fu·tile; hos·tile·ly; hos·tile·ness; in·fan·tile; len·tile;… …   English syllables

  • duc´tile|ly — duc|tile «DUHK tuhl», adjective. 1. that can be hammered out thin or drawn out into a wire; malleable: »The chief ductile metals are copper, iron, brass, platinum, gold, silver, and aluminum (Walter R. Williams, Jr.). 2. easily molded or shaped;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • duc|tile — «DUHK tuhl», adjective. 1. that can be hammered out thin or drawn out into a wire; malleable: »The chief ductile metals are copper, iron, brass, platinum, gold, silver, and aluminum (Walter R. Williams, Jr.). 2. easily molded or shaped; flexible …   Useful english dictionary

  • fer´tile|ly — fer|tile «FUR tuhl», adjective. 1. able to produce seeds, fruit, young, etc.: »a fertile animal or plant. 2. able to develop into a new individual; fertilized: »Chicks hatch from fertile eggs. 3. a) able to produce much; producing crops easily;… …   Useful english dictionary

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