1
: unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
2
: lacking or not bearing fruit
fruitlessly
adverb
fruitlessness
noun
Examples of fruitless in a Sentence
They made a fruitless attempt to find a solution.
It would be fruitless to continue.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hours have passed on the boat, and again and again our casts have been fruitless.
—
Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
The paths for Iranian leaders are threefold: attempt to continue negotiations, seek to de-escalate the fighting with major concessions, possibly after a few demonstration attacks, or assume that negotiations with Trump and/or Netanyahu are fruitless and go all in on military retaliation.
—Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Watch for it on fruitless mulberries, catalpas, cottonwoods, silver maples, sycamores and others.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
Everyone gets a bit dark: Buffy stabs Faith while Giles attempts to stab the mayor, but their efforts are fruitless, and the mayor transforms into a demon.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
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Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
The paths for Iranian leaders are threefold: attempt to continue negotiations, seek to de-escalate the fighting with major concessions, possibly after a few demonstration attacks, or assume that negotiations with Trump and/or Netanyahu are fruitless and go all in on military retaliation.
—Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Watch for it on fruitless mulberries, catalpas, cottonwoods, silver maples, sycamores and others.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025
Everyone gets a bit dark: Buffy stabs Faith while Giles attempts to stab the mayor, but their efforts are fruitless, and the mayor transforms into a demon.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fruitless
Cite this Entry
“Fruitless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruitless. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fruitless
adjective
fruit·less
ˈfrüt-ləs 
1
: not bearing fruit
2
: producing no good results : unsuccessful
a fruitless attempt
fruitlessly
adverb
fruitlessness
noun
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