fruitless

USAGE SUMMARY

'fruitless' is correct and can be used in written English.
It typically means producing no useful result or not achieving the desired outcome. For example: We spent hours searching for the lost key, but our efforts were fruitless.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Following three months of fruitless talks to reach a cash-for-reform deal with creditors, public finances have never been worse.

The Guardian

But such regulations for storeowners like Hadi have proven fruitless.

The Guardian

Mark Rutte, the centre-right Dutch prime minister, threw in the towel on Monday, submitting his resignation to Queen Beatrix after seven weeks of fruitless haggling over colossal spending cuts, which are required to comply with new European rules he has done much to design.

The Guardian

Against the wall lie banners with the slogan "We value the arts: against 100% arts cuts", left over from 2010's fruitless struggle against Somerset Council.

The Guardian

Coltart too might not have tamed the Tiger under any circumstances, but with a huge crowd lining the 9th fairway it is disgraceful that he was allowed to spend five minutes on a fruitless search deep in the woods for his ball when all the while it was nestling in the semi-rough only a few feet from the fairway.

The Guardian - Sport

Spurred by a sense of injustice and disappointment, she has spent six years writing a hefty tome which she claims is the "true story" and is pursuing so far fruitless legal battles.

The Guardian

At 26, Walcott is already an England veteran, largely due to Sven-Goran Eriksson's ultimately fruitless gamble in introducing him to a World Cup squad as long ago as 2006.

The Guardian - Sport

This is the first in a succession of Carrie's fruitless attempts to find happiness.

The Guardian - Books

In a hard-hitting article for the French daily Le Monde, the leader lambasted the uncompromising approach of the EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund for five months of fruitless negotiations.

The Guardian - Business

And not just because surely nobody wants another weekend like the last, which felt like something close to Peak Referee, a collective nausea of fruitless outrage.

The Guardian - Sport

Last month, the Guardian sued the Chicago police department after attempts at acquiring official police records about Homan Square under the Freedom of Information Act proved fruitless.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fruitless" to describe efforts, negotiations, or searches that yield no positive outcome, emphasizing the lack of tangible results despite invested time and energy.

Common error

Avoid using "fruitless" when you mean simply 'difficult' or 'challenging'. "Fruitless" implies a complete lack of success, not just a struggle.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "fruitless" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe something that does not produce the desired result or outcome, as shown in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Formal & Business

19%

Science

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fruitless" is an adjective that describes something unproductive or unsuccessful. Ludwig AI confirms that it is correct and widely used in English. Predominantly found in news and formal business contexts, it conveys disappointment or frustration regarding the lack of positive results. Synonyms include "unproductive" and "futile". When using "fruitless", ensure that you are accurately representing a complete lack of success, rather than just a challenge. The many examples on Ludwig highlight how the word functions in real sentences from authoritative sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unproductive

Focuses on the lack of output or results.

futile

Emphasizes the pointlessness of the effort.

vain attempt

Highlights the lack of success in a particular attempt.

abortive

Suggests that the attempt was cut short or failed to reach completion.

to no avail

Indicates that the effort was unsuccessful.

without success

A straightforward way of saying something didn't work out.

ineffectual

Describes something that doesn't produce the desired effect.

unavailing

Similar to "vain", suggesting that the effort was ultimately useless.

profitless

Highlights the lack of gain or benefit from the endeavor.

bootless

An archaic term for "useless", adding a more formal or literary tone.

FAQs

How can I use "fruitless" in a sentence?

You can use "fruitless" to describe attempts, efforts, or discussions that do not yield any positive results. For example, "Their negotiations were "fruitless", leading to further conflict".

What are some synonyms for "fruitless"?

Some synonyms for "fruitless" include "unproductive", "futile", and "vain". Each of these emphasizes the lack of positive outcome or success.

Is it correct to say "a fruitless success"?

No, the phrase "a fruitless success" is contradictory. "Fruitless" implies a lack of success, so it cannot logically be paired with the word "success".

What is the difference between "fruitless" and "unsuccessful"?

While both terms indicate a lack of success, "fruitless" suggests that effort was expended but yielded no results, whereas "unsuccessful" is a more general term that simply states the absence of success, regardless of effort.