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Pointlessness: meaning, definitions and examples

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pointlessness

 

[ ˈpɔɪnt.ləs.nəs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

feeling of

The state or quality of lacking meaning or purpose; futility.

Synonyms

futility, meaninglessness, purposelessness.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
pointlessness

Used to describe a situation or action that has no purpose or value. Often conveys a sense of frustration or resignation.

  • He questioned the pointlessness of the endless meetings
  • The debate seemed to highlight the pointlessness of their efforts
meaninglessness

Used to describe something that lacks significance, importance, or value. Often used in philosophical or existential discussions.

  • He pondered the meaninglessness of life
  • For some, the routine job felt filled with meaninglessness
futility

Employed when emphasizing that efforts or actions are doomed to fail or have no effect. Suggests a sense of hopelessness.

  • She realized the futility of trying to change his mind
  • The futility of the task became apparent after hours of trying
purposelessness

Indicates a lack of direction, goals, or intentions. Often used to describe feelings or states where no clear purpose is perceived.

  • After losing his job, he struggled with a sense of purposelessness
  • The movie's plot ended up feeling filled with purposelessness

Examples of usage

  • It is hard to find a way out of this sense of pointlessness.
  • The pointlessness of their actions became apparent to them after a while.

Translations

Translations of the word "pointlessness" in other languages:

🇵🇹 inutilidade

🇮🇳 निरर्थकता (nirarthakata)

🇩🇪 Sinnlosigkeit

🇮🇩 kesia-siaan

🇺🇦 безглуздість

🇵🇱 bezsensowność

🇯🇵 無意味 (muimi)

🇫🇷 inutilité

🇪🇸 inutilidad

🇹🇷 anlamsızlık

🇰🇷 무의미 (muimi)

🇸🇦 عديم الجدوى (ʿadīm al-jadwā)

🇨🇿 nesmyslnost

🇸🇰 nezmyselnosť

🇨🇳 无意义 (wú yìyì)

🇸🇮 nesmiselnost

🇮🇸 þýðingarleysi

🇰🇿 мағынасыздық (mağynasızdyq)

🇬🇪 უსარგებლობა (usargebloba)

🇦🇿 mənasızlıq

🇲🇽 inutilidad

Etymology

The word 'pointlessness' originated from the combination of 'point' and the suffix '-less', which indicates the absence of the quality of the base word. It first appeared in the English language in the early 19th century. The concept of pointlessness has been explored in various philosophical and literary works, highlighting the existential dilemma of finding meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe.

See also: counterpoint, midpoint, pinpoint, point, pointed, pointedly, pointer, pointers, pointillism, pointillize, pointing, pointless, pointlessly, points, unpointed.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #37,936, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.