futile : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: futile	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for futile
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
futile adj producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt" Synonym(s): futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailing unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" Synonym(s): bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Futile \Fu"tile\ (?; 277), a. [L. futilis that easily pours out, that easily lets loose, vain, worthless, from the root of fundere to pour out: cf. F. futile. See {Fuse}, v. t.] 1. Talkative; loquacious; tattling. [Obs.] Talkers and futile persons. --Bacon. 2. Of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain; worthless. [bd]Futile theories.[b8] --I. Taylor. His reasoning . . . was singularly futile. --Macaulay.