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Glite Dictionary
fruitlessness

fruitlessness

1 7.3
Lack of results or success after effort
  • noun
  • /ˈfruːt.ləs.nəs/
translation icon : infructuosidad
  • The team's discussions highlighted the fruitlessness of pursuing a strategy that had repeatedly failed.

It's usefulness or fruitlessness can neither augment nor diminish its value.

Examples

  • It would have pointed out the fruitlessness of this line of questioning.

    Blog text (22)

  • After several failed attempts, I realized the fruitlessness of my efforts to fix the old car.

  • Jesus, knowing the fruitlessness of all such effort, merely said:

    Blog text (17)

  • I know the fruitlessness of denying this; she will only claim that she is a witch with a third eye and a hotline to nature.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Season of mist and mellow fruitlessness.

    Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

  • It's usefulness or fruitlessness can neither augment nor diminish its value.

    YaleCourses

  • It is the juxtaposition of limitless knowledge with the fruitlessness of accessing that knowledge that is the core theme of this story.

    Blog text (26)

  • That space is, once again, a desolate one; its fruitlessness is figured through the presence of strange fruit and the shattered weapons that litter the field.

    Academic text (2002)

  • He accepted the fruitlessness of their argument, knowing it would lead nowhere productive.

Synonyms

barrenness
vsfruitlessness
1 8.1

A situation when nothing useful can be produced

means lack of results without implying complete incapacity
unproductiveness
vsfruitlessness
7.1

Not doing much useful work or making progress

includes lack of success as well as lack of production
unfruitfulness
vsfruitlessness
7.0

A state of not producing useful things like crops or ideas

focuses more on lack of results rather than physical yields
infecundity
vsfruitlessness
9.9

Unable to produce ideas, work, or crops

is broader, covering failure to achieve results or general productivity

Antonyms

success
∞ 1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

fruitfulness
1 4.0

Something like land or work that produces healthy growth and useful results

productiveness
1 3.4

The amount of useful work a person or thing does

How Successful

success
∞ 1.0
achievement
344 2.3
fruitlessness
1 7.3

Surface Forms

fruitlessness singular
fruitlessnesses plural

Morphology

fruitlessness = fruitless (transparent) = fruit + less + ness

The adjective 'fruitless' ('fruit' + '-less') is a clear base to which '-ness' is added to form a noun indicating the state of being unproductive.

Etymology

The word fruitlessness comes from fruit, which is used to mean 'result' or 'product', and the ending -less, which means 'without'. So, like fruitful meaning 'full of results', fruitlessness means 'without results' or not producing success.