different between futile vs effete

English

Etymology

From Middle French futile, from Latin f?tilis.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?fju?.ta?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?fju.ta?.?l/, /?fju.t?l/
• Rhymes: -u?t?l (US)

Adjective

futile (comparative more futile, superlative most futile)

1. Incapable of producing results; doomed not to be successful; not worth attempting.

Synonyms

• useless, see also Thesaurus:futile

Antonyms

• effectual
• effective
• fruitful

Related terms

• futility
• futilitarian

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin f?tilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fy.til/
• Rhymes: -il

Adjective

futile (plural futiles)

1. futile

Related terms

• futilité

Further reading

• “futile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Etymology

From Latin f?tilis (“futile, worthless”, literally “that easily pours out”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fu.ti.le/
• Rhymes: -utile
• Hyphenation: fù?ti?le

Adjective

futile (plural futili)

1. futile, frivolous, worthless

Derived terms

• futilmente

Related terms

• futilità

Anagrams

• fluite

References

• futile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• futtile

Adverb

f?tile (not comparable)

1. in vain

Synonyms

• frustr?
• in cassum

Etymology 2

Adjective

f?tile

1. nominative neuter singular of f?tilis
2. accusative neuter singular of f?tilis
3. vocative neuter singular of f?tilis

References

• futile in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• futile in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• futile in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

English

Alternative forms

• effœte (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin eff?tus (“exhausted”, literally “that has given birth”), 1620s.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??fi?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??fit/
  • Rhymes: -i?t

Adjective

effete (comparative more effete, superlative most effete)

1. (obsolete) Of substances, quantities etc: exhausted, spent, worn-out.
2. Lacking strength or vitality; feeble, powerless, impotent.
3. Decadent, weak through self-indulgence.
4. (of a person) Affected, overrefined

Derived terms

• effetely
• effeteness

Translations

References

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ef?fe?.te/, [?f?fe?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ef?fe.te/, [?f?f??t??]

Adjective

eff?te

1. vocative masculine singular of eff?tus