1
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
this argument is totally fruitless, as neither of us will change our position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
At one point, Richarlison won the ball, sprinted upfield on a promising counter with three team-mates for company, but instead dived in a fruitless attempt to win a free kick and waste some time.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The video echos the lyrics through its otherworldly theme, as the camera cuts between scenes of Finneas filming against a green screen, his fruitless attempt to catch the eye of his director (Hudson), and the musician caught in a life-sized diorama of the solar system.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
While recent seasons have had pot-stirrers who manufacture fruitless drama just because (more on that for a later bracket), Irene has the goods to ruffle feathers just by being her natural self.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Hours have passed on the boat, and again and again our casts have been fruitless.
—Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The video echos the lyrics through its otherworldly theme, as the camera cuts between scenes of Finneas filming against a green screen, his fruitless attempt to catch the eye of his director (Hudson), and the musician caught in a life-sized diorama of the solar system.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
While recent seasons have had pot-stirrers who manufacture fruitless drama just because (more on that for a later bracket), Irene has the goods to ruffle feathers just by being her natural self.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Hours have passed on the boat, and again and again our casts have been fruitless.
—Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitless
Adjective
-
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
Although a request for proposals for a new company to run the facility drew interest from at least two companies, neither ended up completing the process to submit a proposal and efforts to reach out to other companies have so far been unsuccessful, Hyde said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Then there is Canada and Greenland’s beef over the uninhabited Hans Island, a barren spit in the Kennedy Channel.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
25 July 2025
-
Brown, barren, patchy spots in your lawn can be unsightly.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Did the original idea for the Jor-El and Lara twist come from your reading of the John Byrne comic run where Krypton was cold and sterile, and Clark embraced Earth over Krypton?—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
-
When Carol was revealed to be sterile, viewers were outraged.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Towns and hamlets have been largely pulverized along the front lines and for miles beyond; even American air defenses are mostly useless, because setting them up invites an immediate Russian attack.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Apart from evidence, some of the most important testimonies in the case were also deemed useless during the investigation.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
From Sonos’ side, this could just be a logical conclusion to a somewhat unfruitful partnership with mid-tier products that the brand itself increasingly competes directly with.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
7 May 2025
-
But his administration’s efforts, so far, have been unfruitful.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitless. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share