Standard Lemma guide

unavailing

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N AH0 V EY1 L IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Fruitless, futile, useless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

producing no result or effect

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a futile effort
  • the therapy was ineffectual
  • an otiose undertaking
  • an unavailing attempt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: futile, ineffectual, otiose

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From un- + availing.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: безполезен (bezpolezen) — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Bulgarian: безрезултатен (bezrezultaten) — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Estonian: asjatu — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Finnish: turha — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Finnish: hyödytön — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Finnish: tulokseton — fruitless, futile, useless
  • French: inutile — fruitless, futile, useless
  • French: vain — fruitless, futile, useless
  • French: futile — fruitless, futile, useless
  • French: infructueux — fruitless, futile, useless
  • German: vergeblich — fruitless, futile, useless
  • German: nutzlos — fruitless, futile, useless
  • German: unbrauchbar — fruitless, futile, useless
  • German: umsonst — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Ancient Greek: ἄπρᾱκτος (áprāktos) — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Italian: inefficace — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Italian: infruttuoso — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Italian: futile — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Scottish Gaelic: dìomhain — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Spanish: infructuoso — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Spanish: fútil — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Spanish: inútil — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Spanish: ocioso — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Spanish: inservible — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Swedish: fåfäng — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Swedish: fruktlös — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Swedish: resultatlös — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Ukrainian: даре́мний (darémnyj) — fruitless, futile, useless
  • Ukrainian: ма́рний (márnyj) — fruitless, futile, useless