From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishto no purposeto no purposeformalRESULT without any useful results She called after them, but to no purpose. → purpose
Examples from the Corpus
to no purpose• The negotiations lasted for days, apparently to no purpose.• Alba was empty enough of men to govern and serve, without throwing them away to no purpose.• The chariot moves back and forth, he wrote, but to no purpose.• She called after them to no purpose. 