to no purpose

Meaning

to no purpose

Without a meaningful result; in vain.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Synonyms

empty unsuccessful hollow ineffective useless impractical idle vain sterile doomed futile worthless barren hopeless fruitless
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Antonyms

successful effective useful efficient productive profitable
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Examples

With drooping shoulders The majority sit hunched, their foreheads furrowed like Stony ground that has been repeatedly ploughed-up to no purpose. Bertolt Brecht

Truth at last cannot be hidden. Dissimulation is of no avail. Dissimulation is to no purpose before so great a judge. Falsehood puts on a mask. Nothing is hidden under the sun. Leonardo da Vinci

This book is gaudy like a gilded cauliflower which smells so bad after a good hot water soaking, like hot chocolate sweetened with sugar beet / incompatibles blended incongruously to no purpose. Peter Greenaway

The history of the human race is a continual struggle from darkness towards light. It is, therefore, to no purpose to discuss the use of knowledge; man wants to know, and when he ceases to do so, he is no longer man. Fridtjof Nansen

It is annoying to be honest to no purpose. Ovid

It was very important that it be done in such a way that it be executed with complete conviction. If I had done it both ways, if I was trying to cover myself in case it didn't work, then it would have been to no purpose. Atom Egoyan

Words in the phrase

to no purpose

Close letter words and terms

to no degree to no effect to no end to north direction to northern direction to note