Word family noun point pointer pointlessness adjective pointed pointy pointless verb point adverb pointlessly pointedly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpointlesspoint‧less /ˈpɔɪntləs/ ●○○ adjective POINTLESSworthless or not likely to have any useful result Life just seemed pointless to me. a pointless quarrelit is pointless doing something It’s pointless telling her to clean her room – she’ll never do it.it is pointless to do something I think it would be pointless to discuss this issue again. —pointlessly adverb —pointlessness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSpointless not likely to have a useful resultShe knew it would be pointless to argue with him.The meeting was a pointless exercise.futile completely pointless because there is no chance at all of being successfulShe shut the door in a futile attempt to keep the smell out.Their efforts proved futile (=did not have any success).useless not useful or effective in any wayI knew it was useless to try to explain to him what had happened.The map we had been given was useless.hopeless having no hope of being successful or effectiveIt was a hopeless task.He was jumping up and down in a hopeless attempt to keep warm.be a waste of time/money/effort to be not worth the time, money etc that you use because you do not achieve anythingThe whole process was a complete waste of time.The scheme was a waste of money. Examples from the Corpus
pointless• Officials say the investigation is pointless.• The argument was completely pointless.• I felt strong; there was a point to a life that had seemed pointless.• It could also be said that without evaluation, proper identification of need is pointless!• Until Tuesday night, the question seemed almost pointless.• When you watch them you think it almost looks pointless.• a pointless, brutal murder• Bills with bipartisan sponsorship have been introduced in both chambers to repeal this pointless cruelty.• pointless drug testing on animals• Instead of allowing this to be a frustrating and pointless event, ask yourself why you created it.• Speculating like that was always a pointless exercise, but he did it nevertheless.• We had to change the sheets daily, which always seemed to me to be a pointless exercise.• Never give your students pointless exercises to do -- always provide interesting, meaningful tasks.• What she thought intolerable was that people could hate each other in a silly, pointless place where peace was possible.• People stood in groups, making pointless small talk.• It is pointless to argue about who is more to blame.• The company says it is pointless to compete in the air package holiday market.• It's pointless to take notes and then never look at them again.• Simon was probably dead, and it was pointless to think he was coming back.• It's pointless trying to speak to the manager -- she's always too busy.• She decided it was pointless trying to work while her mind was on other things.• Look, it's pointless us both waiting here -- I'll go and find a phone.• a film full of pointless violence• Most people think the project is a pointless waste of money.• It was pointless, we were told.it is pointless to do something• It is pointless to look at the budget again.• However, it is pointless to plan too far ahead. 