Fruitlessly

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fruitless \Fruit"less\, a.
     1. Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of
        offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless
        marriage. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle;
        useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a
        fruitless controversy.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              They in mutual accusation spent
              The fruitless hours.                  --Milton.
  
     Syn: Useless; barren; unprofitable; abortive; ineffectual;
          vain; idle; profitless. See {Useless}. --
          {Fruit"less*ly}, adv. -- {Fruit"lness*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fruitlessly
       adv : in an unproductive manner [syn: {unproductively}, {unprofitably}]
             [ant: {productively}, {productively}, {productively}]