futilely
futilely — adverb
1. describes an action that is done with effort but produces no useful result or ou
describes an action that is done with effort but produces no useful result or outcome
Alessia futilely searched for her passport in the dark bedroom as the taxi waited outside.
futilely + search for
The night-shift nurse futilely tried to calm the confused elderly patient after the power cut.
futilely + try to + infinitive
Jiwoo and her neighbours futilely tried to stop a pipe leak before the plumber came.
Paul futilely argued with the ticket inspector even though his travel card had clearly expired.
The local football team futilely defended their goal against wave after wave of attacks.
- vainly
very similar meaning, often interchangeable; 'vainly' can also carry a nuance of excessive pride
- uselessly
slightly more direct and informal; 'uselessly' can describe both the action and the person/thing doing it
- pointlessly
emphasises the lack of purpose or reason for the action
- effectively
the action produces the intended result
- successfully
the action achieves its goal
文法句型
futilely + verb (try, attempt, search, struggle, resist)
pre-verbal position (most common)
用法筆記
Futilely is most often placed immediately before the verb it modifies ('futilely tried', 'futilely searched'). It can also appear at the beginning of a clause for emphasis ('Futilely, they kept digging'). More common in narrative and formal writing than in everyday conversation.