futile

unable to produce a useful result

Root

Other words with the fund / fus root

  • confound: to confuse, mix up, or bewilder
  • confuse: to make unclear or hard to separate
  • diffuse: spread out; wordy or not concentrated
  • fuse: to join or melt together
  • fusion: a joining or blending into one
  • infuse: to fill or soak with something
  • profuse: abundant, lavish, or poured out in large amount

Futile keeps the leaky-vessel picture: effort pours out before it can become a result.

Arguing with the broken timer was futile; it could not hear her.

Futile is not just hard. It is effort with no useful purchase: like trying to fill a vessel that leaks as fast as you pour.

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