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
The Browns are usually teased by NFL fans as a laughing-stock franchise with the amount of futility the franchise has been through since the 2001 season began.
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Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
But now the Raiders could be in position to draft a potentially franchise-changing quarterback and end more than two decades of playoff futility.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Told in a lingua franca of philosophy and academic jargon, Lucky’s speech has something to do with the collapse of reason and logic, and the futility of human progress, which is ultimately what tramps Estragon (Reeves) and Vladimir (Winter) are up against, too.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
The expansion Buccaneers' place in NFL history, however, is cemented as a standard for futility.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for futility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for futility
Noun
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Holding back tears, Marta called out the uselessness of comparing this season to last year’s championship run.—
Noun
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However, amid the current turmoil in all three branches of our government, the show echoes a tone of hopelessness.—
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In a world fraught with real-life villains, political upheaval and a collective sense of hopelessness, fantasy steps in to inspire people to carry on, and that rings especially true for LGBTQ+ teens.—
Noun
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Goff pointed to ineffectiveness on first down in the second half, forcing the offensive line into situations where Los Angeles could turn to its powerful pass rush.—
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Mike Vrabel has blamed his squad’s ground ineffectiveness on his RB stable being too ball-security focused.—
Noun
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Brands that rely solely on AI risk not just irrelevance, but inefficacy.—
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As research highlighted the inefficacy and unintended consequences of these laws, states rolled them back or modified them, mostly by partially repealing them or reducing the severity of mandatory sentences.—
Noun
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At least in the interim, Duke deserves credit for finding ways to win despite some of its defensive deficiencies.—
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To combat this, our program overcorrected for the deficiencies of remote work, investing in in-person experiences and human connection.—
Cite this Entry
“Futility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/futility. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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