futile

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He observes that, from an engineering perspective, it might be futile to try making machines that are fully human—after all, our various abilities have been refined through a lengthy, data-rich evolution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

For now, mining is largely done in ways reminiscent of the United States' gold rush in the 19th century, when so many ended up exhausted in a futile hunt for treasure.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

With as many Netflix original movies as I’ve seen and as cognizant as I am about them being constructed to appeal to the growing attention-deficient demographic, these futile additional aspects always take me by surprise.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

After her attempts to hide from the colectivos proved futile, Irma decided she had to start over somewhere new.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026

I was thankful there was this spirit of amity; we were neither of us anxious to engage in futile disputes.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya