Fruitless
ˈfruːtləs
Definitions
Failing to achieve the desired results; unproductive; unsuccessful.
ˈfruːtləs
Producing no results or success.
Years of research proved fruitless, and no cure was found.
💡 Simply: Imagine you spend hours baking a cake, but it comes out burned. Fruitless means your effort didn't pay off, like your cake disaster!
👶 For kids: It means something didn't work. Like trying to build a tower of blocks, but it keeps falling down.
More Examples
Her efforts to persuade him were fruitless.
The search for the lost treasure was fruitless.
How It's Used
"The marketing campaign proved to be fruitless, with no increase in sales."
"The negotiations were fruitless, and no agreement was reached."
"Their attempts to reconcile were fruitless, and they eventually separated."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
fruitless search
A search that does not yield any results or finds.
"The police conducted a fruitless search of the entire area, but they couldn't find the missing person."
From "fruit" (referring to the product of labor or effort) + "-less" (meaning without). The word's usage extends to figurative meanings of unproductive or unsuccessful endeavors.
The word 'fruitless' has been used since the late 16th century, reflecting a shift from describing literal absence of fruit to the figurative meaning of unproductive activity.
Memory tip
Think of a tree that bears no fruit – a fruitless endeavor produces nothing.
Word Origin
"From 'fruit' (Old French 'fruit', Latin 'fructus' - fruit, profit) + 'less' (Old English -lēas, lacking)."