futility
fyoo-TIL-uh-tee
/fjuːˈtɪl.ə.ti/
Pointlessness or uselessness; the quality of having no useful result.
Refers to action that is completely ineffective or incapable of achieving a desired result.
The story behind the word. Futility stems from the Latin 'futilis', meaning 'that which pours out easily' or 'leaky'. Originally describing a vessel that could not hold water, it evolved to describe efforts or actions that produce no useful result.
Word relationships
- uselessness: Uselessness denotes lack of utility, while futility often carries a tragic or dramatic weight regarding human effort.
- pointlessness: Pointlessness emphasizes lack of purpose, whereas futility emphasizes failure despite energetic attempt.
- utility: Utility refers to usefulness or effectiveness, the exact opposite of futility.
- efficacy: Efficacy means the power to produce a desired result.
Commonly confused with
- absurdity: Futility is about an effort being useless; absurdity is about a situation breaking logical reason or harmony.
Word family
- futile (adjective): Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
- futilely (adverb): In a manner that serves no useful purpose.
Collocations
- exercise in futility
- sense of futility
- sheer futility
- realize the futility
Idioms & expressions
- plowing the sea
- beating a dead horse
Example sentences
- "The tragic military assault made soldiers painfully aware of the futility of their continuous attacks against fortified positions." Military History
- "In his famous war poem 'Futility', Wilfred Owen reflects on the quiet helplessness of trying to revive a fallen comrade under the sun." Poetry (Futility by Wilfred Owen)
Memory hook
FUTILE sounds like 'FLUID' pouring right out of a vessel with a leak — all effort drains away. Leaky effort = zero result.
When not to use
Do not use to mean sadness or sorrow; it specifically measures the effectiveness of an action.
Fun facts
- In Roman religion, the priestesses of Vesta used a special vessel called a 'futis' that had a pointed base so it couldn't sit upright, preventing sacred water from staying stored.
Related words
Explore more words
ineffectual, absurdity, fatalistic, fatuous, feckless, despair
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.