as in uselessness
the quality or state of being useless
The two engaged in a long discussion on the futility of war. He felt saddened by the apparent futility of his efforts to console her.
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Recent Examples of futility
Wembanyama was making his playoff debut against Portland for a franchise and city that is longing for postseason success after six seasons of futility.
—
ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
The agony of America’s post-1945 wars has been their gradual inducement of a sense of futility.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The Vancouver Canucks won’t win 10 home games this season, falling short of a mark for local futility in professional sports held by the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
What irked her most was the foregone futility of the day.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for futility
ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
The agony of America’s post-1945 wars has been their gradual inducement of a sense of futility.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The Vancouver Canucks won’t win 10 home games this season, falling short of a mark for local futility in professional sports held by the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
What irked her most was the foregone futility of the day.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for futility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futility
Noun
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The fear of uselessness explains why the banker Eric Tao (Ken Leung) leaves a cushy retirement to get back to finance, even at the cost of neglecting his kids.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Holding back tears, Marta called out the uselessness of comparing this season to last year’s championship run.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The other featured a comeback that saw hopelessness turn into jubilation.—
Peter Warren,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Delaying this only demonstrates the organization’s ineffectiveness in today’s NBA.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
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Those numbers make Kaprizov’s ineffectiveness even more sobering as the Wild search for answers against the Stars.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The impunity of the powerful was measured by the inefficacy of the outraged.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
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When on day five of his mayoralty Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the inefficacy of homeless sweeps and avowed to end them, street homeless adults, advocates, and attorneys rejoiced.—
Deborah Berkman,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Caroline’s anguish and her ineffectuality at making progress in finding Gabriel make for some frustrating moments as a reader.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But one series with four minutes remaining highlighted the fruitlessness of this effort.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While many people get enough potassium from a balanced diet, some are more prone to a potassium deficiency.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Texas health department outlined the issues in an emergency plan deficiency letter in response to the camp’s application for a license to reopen.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futility. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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