fruitless

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈfrutləs/ UK /ˈfruːtləs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
failing to achieve the desired result; unproductive

After a fruitless search, they abandoned the dig.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · failing to achieve the... futile vain unproductive useless unavailing pointless barren abortive

Opposites

fruitful productive successful profitable

Word family

Forms fruitlessly

Derived forms fruitlesslyfruitlessness

Related forms fruit fruitful fruition

Etymology

From fruit (from Old French fruit, from Latin fructus, 'produce', from frui, 'to enjoy') + the privative suffix -less.

frÅ«ctus Latin fruÄ« Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# fruitless

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈfrutləs
**IPA (UK):** ˈfruːtləs

## Meanings
1. failing to achieve the desired result; unproductive

## Examples
- After a fruitless search, they abandoned the dig.

## Synonyms
- futile
- vain
- unproductive
- useless
- unavailing
- pointless
- barren
- abortive

## Antonyms
- fruitful
- productive
- successful
- profitable

## Derived Forms
- fruitlessly
- fruitlessness

## Related Forms
- fruit
- fruitful
- fruition

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: frÅ«ctus
- Root: fruÄ«

## Etymology
From fruit (from Old French fruit, from Latin fructus, 'produce', from frui, 'to enjoy') + the privative suffix -less.

## AI Etymology
Fruitless is from fruit (from Old French fruit, from Latin fructus, 'produce', from frui, 'to enjoy') + the privative suffix -less. Important recorded forms include frÅ«ctus (Latin) and fruÄ« (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers failing to achieve the desired result; unproductive. The wider family includes derived forms such as fruitlessly and fruitlessness and related words such as fruit, fruitful, and fruition.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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fruitless

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