Fruitless
/ˈfruːt.ləs/noun
Lacking fruit, success, or useful result.
Did you know?The core word fruit comes from Latin fruī, meaning “to enjoy” or “to use,” so fruitless originally carried the eerie sense of something unable to yield enjoyment or benefit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰrew-
“to enjoy, use”
Latin
Latin
fruī
“to enjoy, have the benefit of”
Latin
Latin
frūctus
“enjoyment, produce, fruit”
Old French
Old French
fruict
“fruit, produce”
Middle English
English
fruitles
“unproductive, barren”
Modern English
English
fruitless
“lacking fruit or result”