Pointless: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'pointless' when referring to something that lacks any purpose or result, often after considering other factors. It implies that the action is not worth doing.

• Trying to convince him to change his mind is pointless.
• It feels pointless to continue working on this project if no one is interested.

'Meaningless' implies that something lacks significance, value, or importance. It can be used to describe actions, words, or even life events.

• His apology felt meaningless after everything he had done.
• The numbers on the report are meaningless without proper context.

'Futile' is often used in more serious or formal contexts to express that an effort or action will definitely not succeed. It can convey a sense of resignation or inevitability.

• All their attempts to save the business were futile.
• Calling him for help at this point is futile.

'Senseless' often carries a negative connotation, suggesting that something is not only without purpose but also irrational or illogical. It can describe actions that seem foolhardy or unreasonable.

• The senseless violence in the movie was disturbing.
• It would be senseless to ignore these warning signs.

Use 'purposeless' to describe something that has no clear goal or purpose, often suggesting a lack of direction or focus.

• She felt her life was purposeless after losing her job.
• Wandering the streets, he felt completely purposeless.

'In vain' is commonly used to describe an effort that ultimately produces no result, often when there was hope or expectation for success. It is frequently used in past tense or narrative contexts.

• She searched for hours in vain for her missing necklace.
• His efforts to stop the leak were in vain.

Used when an action or situation has no meaningful outcome or purpose.

• Arguing with him is pointless; he never listens.
• It seems pointless to study if you don't take notes.

Used when an action or effort is doomed to fail, highlighting its inevitability.

• The futility of trying to change their mind was apparent.
• He spoke about the futility of always chasing perfection.

Used to express that something or someone lacks value or is not useful; often has a negative connotation.

• He felt a deep sense of worthlessness after losing his job.
• The broken tool was deemed worthless and thrown away.

Used to describe matters that are minor or lack weight.

• They spent hours discussing trivialities instead of focusing on the real issue.
• Trivialities shouldn't distract us from our main goals.

Used to describe something that lacks importance or value.

• In the grand scheme of things, his opinion was of insignificance.
• She felt her contributions were treated with insignificance.

Used when referring to something that lacks seriousness or is overly playful.

• The meeting was filled with so much frivolity, it felt like a waste of time.
• Her frivolity when discussing important matters annoyed everyone.