Synonyms for unavailing
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Futile — fruitless, futile, useless
futile, ineffectual, ineffective, vain, fruitless, unsuccessful, useless, unprofitable, inoperative, void, meaningless, abortive, idle, bootless, nugatory, otiose, inefficacious, pointless, worthless, unproductive, feckless, barren
Definitions
- adj. 1
Fruitless, futile, useless.
Choose the right word
That which is bootless, fruitless, or profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result; that which is abortive, ineffectual, or unavailing fails to accomplish a result that it was, or was supposed to be, adapted to accomplish.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- ineffective Washing your hands without soap is ineffective work.
- futile When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
- fruitless After three fruitless attempts, he tried one last time.
- ineffectual My efforts seemed ineffectual.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unavailing | steady | |
| ineffective | steady | |
| futile | steady | |
| fruitless | steady | |
| ineffectual | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- void1, vain1, idle2
- 6 letters
- futile2, barren2, otiose3
- 7 letters
- useless2
- 8 letters
- abortive3, feckless2, bootless, nugatory4
- 9 letters
- pointless2, worthless2, fruitless2
- 11 letters
- ineffective4, meaningless3, ineffectual5, inoperative5
- 12 letters
- unsuccessful4, unproductive4, unprofitable5
- 13 letters
- inefficacious
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (idle2 = 2 syllables).