pointless

adjective

point·​less ˈpȯint-ləs How to pronounce pointless (audio)
1
: devoid of meaning : senseless
a pointless remark
2
: devoid of effectiveness : flat
pointless attempts to be funny
pointlessly adverb
pointlessness noun

Examples of pointless in a Sentence

It would be pointless for us to continue the investigation. a pointless remark that left everyone scratching their heads in confusion
Recent Examples on the Web Costa Rica bounced back from a pointless World Cup campaign by topping their qualification group ahead of Haiti. Neel Shelat, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 The change was largely made at the request of sailors, who saw the rule as pointless and irritating. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 Lynch and his lawyers have portrayed the case as a pointless exercise by the Department of Justice that has cost taxpayers — who are footing the bill for both the prosecution and his public defenders — millions of dollars. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Some argue that in a world where tomorrow is unpredictable, meticulous planning may seem pointless. Mykola Tymkiv, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 So much depends on the quality and genre of your input track, plus the style and settings chosen for the AI, that this would be largely pointless. Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 The Swift Go's Arc IGP also produced commendable numbers in these titles; in fact, given the Swift laptop’s screen has a 60Hz refresh rate, producing any higher than 60fps in these games is pointless. Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024 In this sense, —listening, watching, keeping alert—is depressingly pointless. Hazlitt, 24 Jan. 2024 Because the state didn't comply, the DNC labeled Tuesday's primary as pointless and stripped it of any delegates who help award the nomination. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pointless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pointless was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near pointless

Cite this Entry

“Pointless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pointless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pointless

adjective
point·​less ˈpȯint-ləs How to pronounce pointless (audio)
1
: lacking meaning : senseless
a pointless remark
2
: ineffective sense 1
pointless attempts to be funny
pointlessly adverb
pointlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pointless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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