fruitless C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈfrutləs/ UK /ˈfruːtləs/ See IPA manual 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... futilevainunproductiveuselessunavailingpointlessbarrenabortive ↔ Opposites fruitfulproductivesuccessfulprofitable Word family Forms fruitlessly Derived forms fruitlesslyfruitlessness Related forms fruitfruitfulfruition Etymology AI details 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 External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 markdown