a. [a. F. futile or ad. L. fūtilis (more correctly futtilis) that easily pours out, leaky, hence untrustworthy, vain, useless, usu. supposed to be f. fud- stem of fundĕre to pour out.]
1. Incapable of producing any result; foiling utterly of the desired end through intrinsic defect; useless, ineffectual, vain.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (Camden), 252. How weak and futile it is, and how it is overthrown even by the authors producted by his own patrons we have already shewed.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Elegies, ix. 31. Disdaining riches as the futile weeds.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 13, 8 July, ¶ 8. Half the rooms are adorned with a kind of futile pictures which imitate tapestry.
1792. Burke, Pres. St. Affairs, Wks. VII. 113–4. Render it as futile in its effects, as it is feeble in its principle.
1802. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1867), I. 12. All complaint is futile which is not followed up by appropriate remedies.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xvii. These struggles with the natural character, the strong native bent of the heart, may seem futile and fruitless, but in the end they do good.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 112. An inference that Protagoras evades by drawing a futile distinction between the courageous and the confident.
1875. E. White, Life in Christ, Pref. (1878), p. xiii. This is indeed an appeal which is made by every futile dreamer.
2. Occupied with things of no value or importance, addicted to trifling, lacking in purpose. ? Obs.
1736. Bolingbroke, Patriot. (1749), 112. These judgments and these reasonings may be expected in an age as futile and as corrupt as ours.
1751. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), III. 152. The polite conversation of the men and women of fashion at Paris, though not always very deep, is much less futile and frivolous than ours here. Ibid., 192. Frivolous futile people.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, 27 March, an. 1775. ‘Davy has some convivial pleasantry about him; but ’tis a futile fellow.’
† 3. Unable to hold one’s tongue, addicted to talking, loquacious. Obs. [From the etymological sense, ‘leaky.’] Cf. FUTILITY 3.
1612. Bacon, Ess., Counsell (Arb.), 320. One futile person, that maketh it his glory to tell, will do more hurt, than manie that know it their dutie to conceale. Ibid. (1625), Simulation (Arb.), 508. Talkers and Futile Persons.
4. quasi-sb. A futile person.
1892. T. Duncan, Canaanitish Woman, x. 130. After all, why should he remain for ever among the futiles?
Hence Futilely adv., Futileness.
1727. Bailey, Vol. II., Futileness, Futility, Blabbing, Silliness, Lightness, Vanity.
1812. J. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 80. Being without arms, and in an unknown country, my inconsequence and futileness lay heavy on my spirit.
1881. Harper’s Mag., LXIII. 353. Regnault met his death, futilely in almost the last engagement of the war.
1888. Mrs. M. Hungerford, Hon. Mrs. Vereker, I. xvii. 232. The Chinese lanterns that so liberally, but so futilely, sought to light the pleasure grounds.
