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 My brother, for example, likes to play pointless jokes on cashiers and restaurant staff. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 If Peacock really wanted to get some Emmys, maybe a pointless second season of Apples Never Fall should be announced right now? Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Motorola’s recent budget phones have been held back by lackluster designs, pointless extra cameras, and underwhelming feature sets. Allison Johnson, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2024 But worry and fear are both pretty pointless emotions. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024 The prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, was unsympathetic, making jokes about bacon sandwiches coming from dead pigs and refusing to engage with the distinction between pointless, unprocessed killing due to a labor shortage and slaughter for processing. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 Teravainen ended a five-game pointless streak by converting off a faceoff for his 14th goal of the season. Bob Sutton, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024 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

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 28 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!